US traffic deaths soared to 16-year record of 42,915 in 2021

Automobile crash fatalities have been up 10.5% in 2021.
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Over 42,000 individuals have been killed in vehicle crashes final yr marking the deadliest yr on America’s roads since 2005.

The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) reported that an estimated 42,915 individuals have been killed, a rise of 10.5% from 2020 when 38,824 fatalities have been recorded, up from 36,096 in 2019 regardless of the coronavirus lockdowns that have been in impact for a lot of the yr.

The report comes the identical week that a $6 billion grant program to help native street security applications was introduced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“This disaster on our roads is pressing and preventable,” Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s deputy administrator mentioned. “We are going to redouble our security efforts, and we want everybody — state and native governments, security advocates, automakers, and drivers — to hitch us. All of our lives rely upon it.”

Preliminary information exhibits that miles pushed was up 11.2% in 2021 and that 44 states noticed will increase in fatalities.

Spikes of 16% have been recorded in each multi-vehicle accidents and deaths on city roads, whereas fatalities amongst seniors was up 14%.

Distracted driving, driving beneath the affect and “roads designed for pace as a substitute of security” led to the spike in crashes.

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The Governors Freeway Security Affiliation has mentioned a mix of will increase in dashing, distracted driving, driving beneath the affect and “roads designed for pace as a substitute of security” has begun to undo a decade and a half of progress in decreasing visitors deaths, which reached a current low of 32,744 in 2017.

The brand new DOT program makes cash out there for a wide range of initiatives that vary from new turning lanes and pedestrian walkway protections to reducing pace limits and putting in visitors cameras.