More than 46,000 people died on U.S. roads in 2021, according to a report published Wednesday.
The National Safety Council reported that fatalities were up 9% from 2020 as the number of vehicles on the road nears pre-pandemic levels.
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“This devastating news serves as yet another wakeup call for this country. We are failing each other, and we must act to prioritize safety for all road users,” NSC President and CEO Lorraine Martin said.
The number of miles traveled on the road in 2021 lagged behind 2019 numbers by 1% but increased 11% from 2020.
The American Automobile Association said Monday that research showed drivers were increasingly “younger and disproportionately male.”
“Safety-minded individuals drove less, while many who increased their driving tended to engage in riskier behaviors behind the wheel,” AAA Executive Director Dr. David Yang said.
Some of the “risky behavior” surveyed between October and November 2020 included speeding 10 miles over the speed limit, reading a text message, and not wearing a seatbelt.
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Last month, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg released the National Roadway Safety Strategy to address roadway fatalities by updating federal safety systems, requiring new vehicles to be equipped with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, updating requirements for rear-impact guards on tracker trailers, and more.
