Traffic deaths began to soar at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are no signs of them stopping.
There were over 9,500 traffic-related deaths reported in the first three months of 2022, according to officials with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. This is a 7% increase compared to 2021, when approximately 8,900 fatalities were recorded in the same time frame, the agency reported.
The number of traffic deaths reported in 2022 during that time period is the highest increase since 2002, which is typically the least-deadly quarter of the year, the Washington Post reported.
“The overall numbers are still moving in the wrong direction. Now is the time for all states to double down on traffic safety,” Steven Cliff, the agency’s administrator, said in a statement.
Cliff said that through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, states can take advantage of research, interventions, and other program resources to help reverse the trend.
The bill, signed into law in November 2021 by President Joe Biden, provides $350 billion for highway programs.
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States along the East Coast have seen a spike in traffic deaths, according to data from the Washington Post. Delaware is experiencing the largest increase, at 163%, with Connecticut, Vermont, and Virginia following at 74%, 67%, and 72%, respectively.
Out West, Arizona, Montana, and Wyoming have seen a decrease in deaths, at 31%, 33%, and 25%, respectively.
