The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States of America recently issued the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half of 2021 (January-June), which indicates the highest six-month spike in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history. In the first half of 2021, a projected 20,160 individuals died in car accidents, rising 18.4 percent over the same period in 2020. Since 2006, this is the highest number of expected fatalities in that time period.
Keep reading to learn more about these statistics. If you have lost a loved one in a car accident in which someone else was at fault, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 to request a free legal consultation.
The US DOT is responding with a new program
The Department of Transportation will develop its first-ever National Roadway Safety Strategy, which will include specific measures for everyone working to save lives on the road. No one can do anything by himself. It will take collaboration from all levels of government, industry, activists, engineers, and communities across the country to reach the day when families no longer have to say goodbye to loved ones due to a traffic accident.
Behavioral study findings are concerning as well
In addition to traffic fatality data, the NHTSA also released behavioral study findings from March 2020 to June 2021, revealing that instances of speeding and not wearing a seatbelt are still greater than they were prior to the pandemic.
This is a reminder of what hundreds of millions of people can do right now to help: slow down, buckle up, drive safely, and avoid distractions behind the wheel. According to preliminary figures from the Federal Highway Administration, vehicle miles traveled climbed by nearly 173.1 billion miles, or about 13%, in the first half of 2021. The mortality rate climbed to 1.34 deaths per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2021, up from 1.28 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2020.
More about the new National Roadway Safety Strategy
The Department’s first-ever National Roadway Safety Strategy will bring together work from across USDOT and propose a comprehensive set of actions to drastically decrease serious injuries and deaths on our nation’s highways. While the Department has a key leadership role to play in addressing the issue, the plan recognizes that reversing the present trend will require a committed and coordinated effort from all levels of government, the business sector, and communities. In January, the strategy will be released.
The plan will be based on the Safe System Approach principles and will outline major steps the Department will take to assist ensure safer people, roads, vehicles, speeds, and post-crash care. The plan will be focused on new goals that will address our most serious and pressing issues and are projected to have the greatest impact.
If you have lost a loved one in an accident, it is worth contacting The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation.
