Nearly 43,000 people were killed on roads last year in the United States, the highest number in 16 years. Traffic deaths rose 10.5 percent over 2020, the largest percentage increase since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began its fatality data collection in 1975.
Preliminary figures from the agency show that 42,915 people died in traffic crashes last year, up from 38,824 in 2020.
Meanwhile, Final figures will be released in the fall. Americans drove about 325 billion more miles last year than they did in 2020. That’s an 11.2 percent jump that contributed to the rise in deaths.
Citing the analysts, local media reports that exacerbating the problem was the persistence of risky driving behaviors during the pandemic, such as speeding and less frequent use of seat belts, as people began to venture out more in 2021 for out-of-state and other road trips.
The Safety Administration urged state and local governments, drivers, and safety advocates, to join in an effort to reverse the rising death trend.