The statistics for traffic accidents in 2021 have now been released and analyzed, and some concerning trends have emerged. Notably, traffic deaths were up significantly up last year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), there were nearly 43,000 fatalities from traffic crashes on America’s roads last year.
These numbers generally tend to trend down year over year. However, there were fewer fatalities (just under 39,000) reported in the year before. Not only that, but last year saw the most traffic fatalities in the U.S. since 2005.
Areas of increase
There are a few notable areas where traffic fatalities increased by a significant percentage. For instance, when looking at those who are 65 years old and older, their fatality rate went up by 14%. Pedestrians as a whole went up by almost the same amount, at 13%, and fatalities and accidents involving large trucks were also up by the same 13%.
In response to the growing number of traffic fatalities, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that it is “a crisis on America’s roadways that we must address together.” The only positive thing that the NHTSA data showed was that the fatality rate per 100,000,000 miles traveled was similar to what was seen in 2020. That means some of the increase in fatalities may be attributed to the fact that people were driving more often in 2021.
Even so, if you have suffered serious injuries or lost a loved one in a car accident, you need to know about all of your legal options. You may be able to seek financial compensation if someone else was responsible for that accident.