Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicates that for the third month in a row, road users in the U.S. were at a higher risk of being involved in a fatal car accident.
As reported in the Injury Facts, the fatality rate per miles driven in May jumped a staggering 23.5 percent over the past year, despite most of the country being in the midst of quarantine due to the pandemic.
The report noted that the number of miles driven in May dropped 25.5 percent compared to the same time period in 2019. Additionally, the number of deaths from fatal car crashes decreased by 8 percent compared to 2019. But the mileage death rate per 100 million vehicle miles was 1.47 in May 2020, compared to 1.19 in 2019.
“At a moment when the country should be reaping a safety benefit from less traffic, the roads are riskier, threatening to reverse traffic safety gains made over the last few years. After three straight years of rising fatality numbers between 2015 and 2017, the country had been experiencing a leveling off and small decline in overall fatalities. Further, employers are sending employees back to work, meaning commutes are resuming – and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of workplace deaths,” the council said in a statement.
Over the first five months of 2020, six states saw notable increases in the number of roadway deaths: New Hampshire, 63 percent; Connecticut, 39 percent; Louisiana, 15 percent; Missouri, 12 percent; Arkansas, 10 percent; and North Carolina, 6 percent. Nine states had notable decreases including Tennessee, -58 percent; Wyoming, -52 percent; Mississippi, -21 percent; Maryland, -18 percent; Michigan, -13 percent; South Carolina, -13 percent; Pennsylvania, -13 percent; Arizona, -10 percent; and Florida, -4 percent.
“As motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of workplace fatalities, transportation safety should be integral to every organization,” Lorraine M. Martin, NSC president and CEO, said. “An employer’s reopening strategy is an opportunity to emphasize and reiterate the need for safe streets, as well as safe workplace transportation. Employers can make a real difference in improving safety on our roadways, helping to protect their employees, as well as other road users.”