Roads are less safe these days; you may not be aware of this. Residents of Virginia may want to learn more about some recent statistics that show that the deaths from traffic accidents rose in 2021, after falling the previous year three years. Last year, nearly 43,000 people died on the roads in the United States.
This sobering fact was reported by the Associated Press and is part of data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on driving behavior. The numbers showed a 10.5% jump over 2020, and there were several reasons for this.
Less driving in 2020
People stayed home more during 2020 and were not on the roads. However, those who were on the roads increased their speeds and often did not wear their seat belts. This resulted in behaviors that were of higher risk.
People return to the roads
People returned to the road in 2021. It was time to make longer trips and visit family and missed places; out of state road trips became more popular again. It is a fact that Americans drove about 325 billion more miles last year. This was 11.2% higher than in 2020, and this was also part of the reason for the increase in the death rate from motor vehicle accidents.
Progress in improving death rates is gone
Not only have the rate of death increased in car accidents, the rate increased for all types of crashes. Pedestrian deaths were up 13%.
Everyone plays a part
NHTSA administrators says that many people may play a part. State and local governments, safety advocates, automakers and drivers will need to join forces in making the roads safer. Lower speed limits and more cameras are some suggestions that governments may take.