There were 8,730 people killed on U.S. roadways in the first quarter of 2021 – a 10.5 percent increase from the same period last year, according to latest figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Traffic deaths rose significantly even though there was 2.1 percent decline in vehicle miles traveled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, state Highway Safety Offices are working with their partners to ramp up countermeasures proven to address speeding, drunk and drug-impaired driving, and seat belt use.
“These new statistics are another troubling result of the dangerous driving that has plagued U.S. roads since the start of the pandemic,” said Pam Shadel Fischer, Senior Director of External Engagement, Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
Shadel Fischer says “every available tool” including equitable enforcement, community outreach, and infrastructure improvements should be used to address the problem.
The newest Countermeasures That Work publication recently released by NHTSA and originally developed for the agency by GHSA, showcases a comprehensive approach to eliminating highway deaths and improving safety for all road users.
