The ongoing crisis on America’s roadways is growing worse and worse, with early estimates from the federal government showing that motor vehicle deaths during the first three months of the year have reached their highest point in 20 years.
On Wednesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Quarter of 2022 report, examining nationwide data to determine trends in traffic-related fatalities.
According to the report, the latest statistical projections show an estimated 9,560 motor vehicle fatalities in the first three months of 2022, up approximately 7% from the 8,935 fatalities reported in the first three months of 2021, and roughly 42% from the 6,726 recorded in 2011.
The estimated 9,560 traffic deaths in the first three months of 2022 represent the highest number of January-through-March fatalities since 2002, data shows.
The report found that vehicle miles traveled increased by about 40.2 billion miles, or 5.6%, in the first three months of 2022, with the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled slightly increasing from 1.25 in the first three months of 2021 to 1.27 in 2022.
Seven of the 10 NHTSA regions experienced increases in traffic fatalities from the first three months of 2021 to the first three months of 2022, including an 18% increase in NHTSA Region 2, which includes New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
In New York, there were an estimated 234 traffic deaths in the first three months of 2022, a staggering 37.6% increase from the 170 during the same timespan in 2021.
NHTSA Region 3, which includes Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C. and West Virginia, saw a 52% increase in roadway fatalities during the first three months, the highest of any region.
In January, in an effort to buck the trend of rising roadway fatalities, the U.S. Department of Transportation released the National Roadway Safety Strategy, a comprehensive roadmap of policies and initiatives designed to bolster roadway safety.
“Another new report of an increase in lives lost may feel a bit like Groundhog Day, but we must not become desensitized to the tragedy of roadway deaths. Instead, our country must focus on immediately implementing the National Roadway Safety Strategy that was released by the U.S. Department of Transportation earlier this year in partnership with leading safety organizations,” said Jonathan Adkins, Executive Director, Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
The roadmap outlines a multi-layered approach to reducing traffic fatalities through embracing safer street designs, safer vehicles and better post-crash care, while also emphasizing the importance of educating drivers on avoiding dangerous driving behavior and speeding.
RECORD INCREASE LAST YEAR
The rising roadway deaths during the first quarter of 2022 come on the heels of the deadliest year on U.S. streets in 16 years.
In May, the NHTSA released its Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for 2021, showing an estimated 42,915 traffic deaths in 2021, a 10.5% increase over the 38,824 recorded in 2020.
The estimated death total marked the highest number since 2005, with the 10.5% rise representing the highest year-to-year increase in the country’s recorded history.
Among the most concerning trends was that fatalities rose among some of the most vulnerable road users, including a 14% increase in senior fatalities, a 13% increase in pedestrian fatalities, a 9% increase in motorcyclist fatalities and a 5% increase in cyclist fatalities, data showed.
The increased number of deaths can be attributed, in part, to increased dangerous driving behaviors, with a 5% increase in speeding-related fatalities and a 5% increase in alcohol-involved fatalities.
“We face a crisis on America’s roadways that we must address together,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the time. “With our National Roadway Safety Strategy and the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are taking critical steps to help reverse this devastating trend and save lives on our roadways.”
