The number of traffic fatalities in 2021 is projected to be higher than it’s been in 16 years. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “an estimated 42,915 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes last year, a 10.5% increase from the 38,824 fatalities in 2020.”
This is despite the fact that fewer people are driving, due to factors like working from home and higher gas prices. With fewer cars on the road, we would expect the total number of crashes – along with injuries and deaths associated with those crashes – to fall.
So why is this trend the opposite of what we might expect? And what can we do about it?
Preparing for a World With Higher Accidents
Regardless of why more accidents are happening, you need to understand that roads are somewhat more dangerous than they’ve been in the past. Accordingly, you should update your perspectives and potentially change some of your behaviors.
Simple habits, like reducing your speed and increasing your following distance, can greatly reduce your likelihood of being in an accident and minimize your chances of injury or death if you end up in an accident. If every driver practiced greater safety habits in response to higher traffic fatalities, we could collectively reduce this statistic significantly.
Additionally, if you do end up in an accident, you need to know what to do next. Your highest priority should be getting to safety and calling for help, as well as seeking medical attention if you need it.
After that, make sure you talk to a car accident lawyer about your next options.
Possible Explanations for Higher Traffic Fatalities
What could possibly explain the higher number of traffic fatalities if there are fewer people on the roads?
· Rusty skills. One explanation is that people got used to not driving. If you drove 30 minutes each way to your job before the pandemic, that’s at least 5 hours you spent on the road every week, or 250 hours every year. If you add in grocery store trips and other errands, you might have been driving 3-400 hours every year or more. If, during the pandemic, you started working from home and ordering deliveries, you could miss out on hundreds of hours of driving experience. Once you do finally return to the road, your skills may be rusty.
· Emptier roads and overconfidence. Another common explanation is that the roads are emptier, leaving drivers feeling overconfident. Thanks to more remote working opportunities, flexible schedules, and more convenient ways of running errands, traffic jams have all but been eliminated in many areas and the roads feel wider and more open. When some drivers see these open roads, they have an increased likelihood of speeding, changing lanes without signaling, and taking other dangerous actions they might otherwise avoid.
· Habit changes. According to traffic experts, after 2020, fewer drivers are wearing seatbelts and more drivers are driving drunk. We can obviously see the correlation between not wearing a seat belt or drinking and driving and being involved in a traffic fatality. What’s less clear is why fewer people are wearing seatbelts and more people are drinking and driving. Is this another byproduct of driver overconfidence? Are people engaging in riskier behaviors overall?
· Infrastructure issues. You might be able to blame some new accidents on infrastructure issues. Throughout the United States, our roads, bridges, and other traffic resources are failing to hold up – and our approach to maintenance and repairs leaves something to be desired. Driving through constant construction zones and dodging constant potholes increases your risk of an accident significantly.
· New environments. We can also explain at least some car accidents as a byproduct of dealing with a new environment. During and after the pandemic, many people moved to take advantage of their new remote working arrangements or to escape to an environment they feel is better for them. But learning to drive on new roads can be dangerous.
· Increased distractions. Traffic experts also suggest that traffic fatalities are rising, in general, because of the increased number of distractions available to drivers. These days, most people live on their phones, constantly checking social media and their favorite apps for new updates. If you glance at your phone even for a moment, your risk of being in an accident explodes.
· Pedestrian variables. Fatality rates are highest in pedestrian accidents. There are several reasons why we might expect more pedestrian accidents, such as more people walking instead of driving, less walkable neighborhoods, and pedestrian distractions.
Whatever combination of variables is responsible for the higher fatality rate, it’s our collective responsibility to try and address it. On an individual level, you can strive to drive safely at all times, and if you want to make a bigger push, talk to local politicians about making infrastructural improvements for driver and pedestrian safety.
