Despite a drop in traffic levels in the US in 2020 because of the pandemic, new data shows an increase in road deaths during the period. There is concern as to why, despite the reduction in total distances travelled during 2020, road fatalities should have increased. Safety bodies are calling for the new US Government to take serious action and stem the shocking tide of road deaths in the country.
Data from the National Safety Council shows that 42,060 people were killed in road crashes during 2020 in the US. This compares poorly with the figure of 39,107 for US road deaths in 2019. In spite of the drop in vehicle journeys and traffic volumes right across the US due to the pandemic, road deaths increased by 8% for 2020 compared with 2019.
There were also 4.8 million people seriously injured in road crashes during 2020, with an estimated bill of some US$474 billion. Meanwhile, the total distance travelled by US drivers dropped 13% for 2020 compared with 2019. This massive increase equated to a 44% jump in road deaths/million miles travelled, the biggest single such increase recorded since data began to be collated in 1924 by the National Safety Council.
Careless driving and distracted driving have been suggested as being prime causes of so many fatal and serious crashes in the US.
