“It’s always more riskier when people are driving faster.” ![]() “With the roadways being more open and more people increasing their speeds, the wrecks were more violent,” he said. In Georgia, while there were fewer crashes statewide, the number of fatalities rose last year due to speeding, said Lt. ![]() Many other large states, including California and Georgia, also reported increases in fatal crashes last year. “When speed increases, the severity of the crash is exponentially worse.”Ĭalifornia Highway Patrol officer Matthew Musselmann uses a laser gun to detect speeders on Interstate 5 on April 23, 2020, in Anaheim. “Increased speeds lead to more fatal and injury crashes,” White said. That meant a dip in traffic safety enforcement, he said.Īs a result, many motorists put the pedal to the metal – which led to more deaths. When factoring in the decrease in vehicle miles traveled in 2020, the pedestrian fatality rate leaped 21% from 2019 – the largest annual increase since the NHTSA began collecting and analyzing such data in 1975.ĭuring the pandemic many officers shifted their efforts to help critical industries such as grocery stores during supply shortages, Colorado’s White said. “Even though there were fewer vehicles on the road last year, more people on foot were struck and killed by drivers,” said Adam Snider, the GHSA’s communications director. One result has been increased road rage, White said.ĭespite fewer cars on the roads, pedestrian deaths also rose last year.Īn analysis of state data projects that 6,721 pedestrians were killed on US roads last year, up 4.8% from 2019, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe/Getty ImagesĪs drivers have trickled back onto the highways, they’ve had to adjust to sharing space with others after a year of open roads. “Some of the drivers on the road seemed to feel traffic laws no longer applied during the pandemic because of the decrease in commuter traffic volume.”Ī car is towed away after crashing into a home in Quincy, Massachusetts, on May 13, 2020. “During the height of the pandemic, many drivers stayed home and were discouraged from travel unless absolutely necessary,” White said. The state also saw an increase in road rage, street racing incidents and other aggressive behaviors. Blake White, a spokesperson for the Colorado State Patrol. Incidents of excessive speeding – going 40 mph or more over the limit – shot up by 48% last year over 2019, said Sgt. The percentage of crashes involving unsafe speed, alcohol or illegal drugs all rose in 2020 over 2019 levels, Duffy said.Ĭrashes in Colorado mirrored similar trends. ![]() In New York state, more than 1,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year compared to 938 the year before, said Beau Duffy, a spokesperson for the state police. The recent rise in deadly crashes has been seen in all regions of the country. Motorists have been emboldened by emptier roads ![]() Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty ImagesĮxperts have several theories for the rise in deadly crashes.Īnd based on preliminary data from the first three months of this year, 2021 has the potential to be even worse. About 38,680 people died in vehicle crashes in the US last year - the highest number since 2007. New York police investigate the site of a collision in Manhattan.
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