Final 2021 Car Fatality Numbers Released

New Road Safety Report Reveals Some Concerning Trends

Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration releases data on all the car crashes that happened in the prior year. These statistics take some time to analyze, but they provide a lot of valuable insight into traffic safety trends. The final numbers for 2021 are in, and they provide valuable information about how the pandemic affected drivers.

2021 Statistics Show an Increase in Fatalities

After carefully analyzing national traffic reports for a year, the NHTSA has released extensive data on 2021 road accidents. This finalized car crash data reveals that there has been an unusually high increase in traffic fatalities. Overall, car crash deaths were up 10.5% from 2020. There were especially high rates of pedestrian deaths, which increased by 13% overall. Of course, some of this increase is due to the fact that fewer people were driving during the early months of the pandemic. Since road accidents were significantly lower in 2020, the rate of increase is partially because more drivers were back on the road and making mistakes. However, even when accounting for the unusually low number of fatalities in 2020, 2021 had a shockingly high number of fatal accidents. There were 42,939 car accident fatalities in 2021, which is the highest number of traffic deaths since 2005. The NHTSA data also shows that drivers and passengers in 2021 had a much higher risk of being killed in an accident. In 2019, there were 1.11 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. This rate increased to 1.34 in 2020 and 1.37 in 2021.

Driver Negligence Is Behind More Deaths

The NHTSA report shows that the main cause behind the higher fatality rate is negligent driving. Instead of being simple accidents caused by driver errors, people were being killed by other drivers failing to follow road safety laws. Over 3,500 people were killed by distracted drivers, resulting in a 12% increase in fatal crashes caused by drivers who were texting or doing other things instead of paying attention to the road. Interestingly, the NHTSA report mentions that distracted driving might be even worse than the data shows since many drivers will not willingly admit to being distracted, and it's very hard to prove. Other cases of negligence involved things like speeding and drunk driving. Deaths related to speeding increased by 7.9% in 2021, and fatalities caused by alcohol impairment were also particularly high. In fact, alcohol-related fatalities were one of the most drastic changes in 2021. Rates of alcohol-related fatalities rose by 14%, and 10,049 of the drivers involved in fatal crashes were under the influence.

Have These Driving Trends Affected You?

What does all of this data mean for the average driver? First of all, it indicates that you might need to be extra cautious on the road. With so many negligent drivers around lately, your risk of an accident is higher. Furthermore, the NHTSA driving data shows that you should pay close attention to the cause of any accidents you get in. Forty-five percent of car accident fatalities were due to some combination of driver negligence and people not wearing a seatbelt. This means that if you get in an accident it might be worthwhile to consult with an Allentown personal injury lawyer. Any time the other driver was distracted, speeding, drunk, or otherwise not following road safety guidelines, you might have grounds to sue them. These types of personal injury lawsuits are a useful way to deal with the aftermath of a disastrous car accident. You can seek compensation for things like the lost wages of a partner who passed away or the reduced earning potential you face after being maimed in an accident. If you or a loved one is injured by a negligent driver, Metzger & Kleiner can help. Our Allentown personal injury lawyers can help you seek compensation for medical expenses and other damages. We guide you through the entire process, assist you with all the paperwork, and represent you aggressively in court. Call our Philadelphia office at 215-567-6616 or fill out our contact form to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.