According to an early estimate published by U.S. authorities, the number of people died in road accidents in the first half of 2022 in the United States climbed by 0.5% to 20,175, making it the largest number of people killed in the period since 2006.
Following the conclusion of the pandemic lockdowns, there has been an increase in the number of people killed in traffic accidents as a result of more drivers engaging in risky conduct. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on Monday that the number of traffic deaths decreased by 4.9% in the second quarter. This is the first decline in fatalities after seven consecutive quarters of year-over-year increases in fatalities, although the number of deaths is still substantially higher than it was before the pandemic began.
As a consequence of the epidemic, there was less traffic on the roadways of the United States, which led some drivers to believe that the police were less likely to pull them over and issue citations. This led to drivers taking more risks when driving.
According to statistics conducted by the NHTSA, the number of incidences in which people were speeding or driving without wearing seatbelts was greater than it had been before the epidemic.
The number of pedestrians who were murdered increased by 13% in 2021, reaching 7,342—the highest number since 1981. According to the NHTSA, the number of individuals riding bicycles who were killed increased by 5% to 985, marking the highest figure since at least 1980.
In the beginning of this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was without an administrator because Steve Cliff had accepted a senior position with the California Air Resources Board. The agency is currently being run on an acting basis by its general counsel Ann Carlson, who stated that despite the decrease in the number of people dying on roads in this country during the second quarter, “the number of people dying on roads in this country remains a crisis.”
During Former President Donald Trump’s tenure, the chief position at the National Highway Traffic Safety Government (NHTSA) was never filled, therefore safety advocacy organisations have asked the administration to act fast to fill the position.
The previous week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters that the administration is “actively working” to identify a candidate to replace the top post at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Buttigieg has said that safer drivers, cars, roads, and speeds are necessary in the United States.
Buttigieg stated in a statement that was released on Monday that “These fatalities are avoidable, not inevitable,” and that people should act appropriately.