According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 9,560 people died in motor vehicle crashes between January and March of 2022. This makes it the deadliest first quarter since 2002. The 2022 figure represents a 7% increase over January through March of last year, when there were 8,935 fatalities.
Annual fatalities for 2021 totaled 42,915, a 16-year high and an increase of 10.5% over the previous year.
Truck-involved crashes that resulted in fatalities ranked among the groups with the highest increases in the year-to-year NHTSA comparisons:
- Fatalities in multi-vehicle crashes up 16%
- Fatalities on urban roads up 16%
- Fatalities among drivers 65 and older up 14%
- Pedestrian fatalities up 13%
- Fatalities in crashes involving at least one large truck up 13%
- Daytime fatalities up 11%
- Motorcyclist fatalities up 9%
- Bicyclist fatalities up 5%
- Fatalities in speeding-related crashes up 5%
- Fatalities in police-reported, alcohol-involvement crashes up 5%
The increase between 2021 and 2022 cannot be totally explained by the extra time spent on the road. While Americans traveled 5.6% more in Q1 2022 than in Q1 2021, fatalities rose by a higher percentage.
The NHTSA’s report does not break down traffic fatalities by root cause of the accident, but the usual factors of speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, and impaired or distracted driving played a role. According to NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff, one-third of traffic deaths are typically caused by drivers impaired by alcohol or other substances. Cliff also cited some other issues that contributed to the rise in traffic deaths. They included reckless driving and a smaller police presence on the roads. The latter was due to the COVID-19 pandemic which led to less traffic stops, no doubt emboldening some drivers. David Harkey, the president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, stated that “risky driving behaviors were exacerbated during the pandemic, and they seem to have this hangover effect that’s now occurring.”
If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle accident that may have been caused by someone else’s negligence, call Comitz Law at 570-829-1111 or email info@comitzlaw.com.