A new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Thursday found that traffic fatalities increased during 2020, despite American’s driving less during the pandemic.
According to early estimates from the NHTSA, 38,680 died in motor vehicle traffic crashes – the largest number of fatalities since 2007. The number of traffic deaths is about 7.2 percent higher than those in 2019.
At the same time, the report said, data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) showed that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) decreased by 430.2 billion miles or 13.2 percent. NHTSA’s analysis found that the fatality rate for 2020 was 1.37 fatalities per 100 million VMT, up from 1.11 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2019. The agency attributed the increase to risky driving behaviors, including impaired driving, speeding, and failure to wear a seat belt.
“Safety is the top priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Loss of life is unacceptable on our nation’s roadways, and everyone has a role to play in ensuring that they are safe. We intend to use all available tools to reverse these trends and reduce traffic fatalities and injuries,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s Acting Administrator. “The President’s American Jobs Plan would provide an additional $19 billion in vital funding to improve road safety for all users, including people walking and biking. It will increase funding for existing safety programs and allow for the creation of new ones, with a goal of saving lives.”
The projections show a significant increase in fatalities in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019. NHTSA said it would continue to analyze the data to determine what may have changed to cause the increase.