News on the traffic safety front seems to be getting worse. The federal administration recently released its estimates of traffic accident deaths for last year, and the numbers are the highest on record in more than a decade.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its projected estimate of traffic accident fatalities that occurred in 2021. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is projecting an increase in deaths in all 10 of its areas, including 44 states and the District of Columbia.
The administration estimates that a total of 42,915 people died in traffic accidents across the United States last year. That was the highest number on record since 2005. It is also a significant 10.5% increase from the number of traffic accident deaths that were recorded in 2020. A total of 38,824 deaths were recorded in traffic accidents in 2020. The 10.5% increase is the largest percentage increase recorded in the history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the national census which provides accident-related fatality data. Essentially, numbers for all types of accidents rose whether they were general motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian or bicycle accidents, speeding related, or motorcycle accidents,
To say that the federal administration is concerned about these statistics is an understatement. The US Department of Transportation has already unveiled the National Road Safety Strategy which focuses on key strategies that can be used to help reduce the number of people being killed in accidents every year. This latest release of crash death data for last year will no doubt also spur federal as well as state transportation agencies into further action. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released more than 700 million dollars in funding recently for states to use to identify problem areas and develop and execute strategies that can help keep motorists safe. Â Special attention is being placed on protecting the safety of vulnerable populations, like pedestrians and bicyclists. Fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists have increased since 2020.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is projecting increases of 11 percent in accidents that occur during the daytime and on weekends. The data also indicates a 5% increase in the number of accidents caused by speeding, and a 16% increase in the number of multi-vehicle accidents. Accident-related deaths were recorded in almost all categories of drivers, with the maximum increase being documented in the category of drivers between the age of 35 to 44. This group of drivers recorded a 15% increase in the number of crash fatalities.  The high percentage increase in this category is especially baffling because these are neither new nor you drivers who lack experience, or elderly drivers who might suffer from physiological challenges that make it difficult to drive safely. The number of motorcycle facilities was up by 9%, while the number of pedestrian facilities was up by 13% in 2021.
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident in the metro Atlanta region or anywhere in Georgia, talk to a car accident attorney to determine if you have legal rights to a claim for damages. You may qualify for damages that include medical costs, lost income as well as pain and suffering and other damages. Â Â Â You might qualify for damages that include medical expenses, lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering and other types of damages.Â