There is a crisis on America’s roads and fatalities from auto accidents is it. Deaths from auto accidents hit a 15-year high in the first six months of 2021. This is coming off a year where auto accident fatalities were on par with average despite the global pandemic and countrywide lockdowns.
In the first six months of 2021 there were an estimated total of 20,160 traffic deaths on America’s roads. Experts are looking at these devastating numbers as a crisis of grave concern for our country and are calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to make curbing this crisis a key piece of the work that they do.
There is in fact reason to believe that this type of dangerous driving can be curbed and the crisis can get under control. The DOT has already started working on a backlog of safety regulations that have been put into place by the U.S. Congress but have yet to be rolled out across the country. These regulations should have a net positive impact on the number of fatalities that occur as a result of auto accidents.
It is undeniable that the mental and physical toll that the lockdowns had on people during 2020 has contributed to this dangerous spike in deaths. In fact, a report that was issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation indicated a growing number of these deaths were the result of reckless driving behaviors including excessive speeding and drivers who were refusing to wear a seatbelt.
Overall, the spike in numbers can be attributed to a combination of just 15 states as well as Puerto Rico. In Region 2, which includes New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey, the number of fatalities due to auto accidents increased by 13% from the first half of 2020 to the first half of 2021. While the number of fatalities in Region 2 increased by 13% the fatality rate stayed steady at 1.01%.
While these numbers can be informative to public health officials for the purpose of developing stronger safety regulations, they can also be informative to the general public who are made aware through these numbers what is actually driving the increase in fatalities. Getting into a Connecticut auto accident can be avoided by avoiding the risky behaviors that have contributed to these dramatic increases.
If you or a loved one are injured in an accident you may need an experienced attorney to review your case and help you work with the insurance company to protect your long-term interests. Contact our office and one of our attorneys can work with you.
