The U.S. experienced a 20% jump for the estimated milage death rate between January and June 2020 compared to the same six-month period in 2019.
If available technology blocked drivers with any alcohol in their blood from driving, requiring them for those with alcohol-impaired driving convictions would save 986 lives. Requiring them for fleet vehicles would save 465 lives.
Further, employers are sending employees back to work, meaning commutes are resuming – and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of workplace deaths.
Estimates show a year-over-year 36.6% jump in fatality rates per miles driven in April, in spite of an 18% drop in the total number of roadway deaths compared to April 2019.
There was a 14% year-over-year jump in fatality rates per miles driven in March 2020, while the actual number of miles driven dropped 18.6% compared to the same time period last year.
Traffic fatalities decreased by an estimated 1.2% last year compared to 2018.
Motorists who drove off road, drove at an unsafe speed, drove left of center, failed to yield, and followed too close accounted for nearly two-thirds of roadway fatalities.
An estimated 38,800 people were killed in automotive collisions in 2019, which translates into a 2% decline as compared with the 39,404 fatalities in 2018.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded $562 million in grants to Offices of Highway Safety to fund various initiatives that address impaired driving, promote seat belt use, enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and improve overall roadway safety.
North Las Vegas, Nevada ranked as the worst city in the nation for speeding with 53.9% of all traffic fatalities involving speeding.