Why Are Traffic Deaths the Highest They Have Been in Decades?

Traffic-related deaths have increased in the past few years, but 2022 is different. For scary reasons, including the drivers’ negligence and road challenges, traffic deaths are now the highest they have been in two decades. The NHTSA sounds the alarm in response to its estimates of traffic fatalities in the first quarter of 2022.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released estimates on the seventeenth of August, stating that about 10,000 people died in vehicle crashes. This number signals a seven percent increase in traffic fatality rates compared to the first quarter of 2021.

Traffic Fatalities in 2022: A Cause for Concern

In Washington D.C. and seven states, deaths rose to a sixteen-year high, but 2022 brought them to a twenty-year high. The report provided by the NHTSA shows we have reached the highest number of first-quarter fatalities in twenty years – since 2022. To make things worse, these traffic fatalities keep climbing, even when there are not many vehicles on the road.

The NHTSA reports follow a pandemic trend of rising traffic deaths. For instance, ten percent more traffic fatalities were recorded in 2021 than in 2020. Also, the NHTSA reported that over thirty-six thousand people died on U.S. roads in 2019, says ABC News.

The deaths increased in 2020 and 2021, with 38,824 and 42,915 deaths, respectively. These numbers make things more alarming because it is not just about the numbers rising; they are rising significantly.

Why Are Traffic Fatalities on the Rise, Then?

We have examined the statistics on the significant rise in traffic fatalities in the past few years. The question is: why did 2022 record the highest? According to Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, multiple factors impact the rise in traffic fatalities.

Prevalence of Reckless Driving Among Drivers

There is a prevalence of dangerous driving behaviors among motorists, and traffic enforcement on roads has reduced. Examples of this reckless driving behavior include driving above the speed limit, not using seatbelts, and even drunk driving. So much attention has been on drunk driving and distracted driving, and some of that needs to be put on speeding.

What Measures Can Curb the Problem?

The Department of Transportation has announced that they are prioritizing focusing on measures to curb traffic-related fatalities. As a follow-up to the announcement, they announced the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in January. This plan focuses on safer road design, vehicles, individual driver behavior, safer speeds, and improved post-crash care.

Also, the NHTSA has several other programs that aim to create safer roads. A good example is the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over by Labor Day” campaign aimed at reducing impaired driving.

The Speeding Wrecks Lives campaign and outreaches seek to educate drivers and other road users on the dangers of speeding. In each region in the U.S., measures are being taken to address impaired driving and speeding, protecting vulnerable road users, including pedestrians.

Conclusion

Traffic deaths, including that of pedestrians, drivers, and vehicle passengers, reached the highest in the first quarter of 2022, says NHTSA. According to experts, the reason for this is speeding, alongside distracted driving and driving drunk. Although much focus has been placed on distracted and drunk driving, the same focus will now be on speeding.

“Furthermore, the government and other non-governmental bodies work together to ensure safer roads and fewer traffic fatalities. One of the measures taken is ensuring vehicle safety, not only about being safe in your car but keeping those outside safe” says attorney Felix Gonzalez of Felix Gonzalez Accident and Injury Law Firm.