• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Tesla Owners Stung by Capitalism
  • Mercedes Updates GLE Models for 2024 Model Year
  • First Look: Mazda’s Bigger, More Luxurious New CX-90
  • GM Net Income Rises for Q4 But Falls for Full Year 2022
  • GMC Launches Production of Hummer SUV; Needs Until 2024 to Fill Outstanding Orders
  • Vehicle Sales Up for January Despite Ongoing Challenges
  • Bidding Adieu to Bugatti’s W16 Engine
  • Ford “Significantly” Raising Production of Mustang Mach-E While Reducing Prices “Across the Board”
  • Week Ahead: Numbers, Numbers and More Numbers
  • The Rearview Mirror: All That the Name Implies
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Z71
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus UX 250h F Sport
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > U.S. Highway Deaths Surged to Highest Level Since 2006 — Even as Traffic Plunged During Pandemic

        U.S. Highway Deaths Surged to Highest Level Since 2006 — Even as Traffic Plunged During Pandemic

        Speeding, decline in seat belt usage, catch blame, along with drinking, distracted driving.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        June 04, 2021

        Traffic deaths surged 7% during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, reaching the highest level since 2006 based on the number of miles Americans traveled.

        The lighter traffic volumes due to shelter-in-place orders gave some drivers a little too much courage.

        The numbers were up even while factoring out the sharp slump in driving during the pandemic. For all of 2020, 38,680 people died on U.S. roads, an increase of 7.2% compared to 2019, according to formal data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

        “We intend to use all available tools to reverse these trends and reduce traffic fatalities and injuries,” said acting NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff said in a statement accompanying the highway fatality report.

        What’s to blame?

        Experts point to a variety of factors that contributed to the surge in fatalities among motorists and passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. The list included the usual suspects, such as drunk and drugged driving, as well as distracted driving. But speeding was seen as playing an even bigger role than normal.

        LA traffic light during pandemic
        Traffic on I-405 in Los Angeles once uncharacteristically light during the pandemic, is now getting back to normal.

        Authorities across the country reported a significant surge in the speed at which traffic flowed, especially during early months of the lockdown. The California Highway Patrol handed out more than twice as many tickets to those caught driving at triple-digit speeds. Early on, meanwhile, numerous police departments acknowledged a greater reluctance to pull over drivers due to the potential risk of infection that posed to officers.

        NHTSA addressed these concerns in an open letter to motorists earlier this year, warning that “fewer Americans drove but those who did took more risks and had more fatal crashes.” The agency stressed, “It’s irresponsible and illegal to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which not only puts your life at risk but the lives of others.”

        Deaths rose by all measures

        Last year saw the biggest increase in highway fatalities in 13 year, the death total climbing 2,600 over 2019 levels — even though Americans clocked 13% fewer miles because of pandemic lockdowns and a shift to working from home that saw a sharp decline in commuter traffic.

        Adjusted to reflect lighter traffic levels, the fatality rate reached 1.37 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, a figure not seen since 2006.

        rollover crash
        Data shows that traffic deaths on U.S. roadways rose 7.2% compared with 2019.

        If anything, traffic deaths continued to surge as more Americans got back on the road, however. Traffic deaths rose more than 13% during the second half of 2020, according to NHTSA.

        Seeking a solution

        The potential impact of speeding could be seen in the fact that many accidents in 2020 were more severe than in past year. In Michigan, for example, fatalities were up 10%, even though the total number of collisions reported by police fell 22 percent.

        Those figures may also reflect another disturbing trend authorities saw last year: a decline in the use of seatbelts.

        Whatever the reason, “These hazards are distressing, dangerous and deadly,” the non-profit Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said in a statement. The group called for U.S. lawmakers and regulators to push for new standards requiring the use of advanced vehicle safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind spot detection.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        Tesla Owners Stung by Capitalism

        Today
        2024 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupé front 3-4 REL

        Mercedes Updates GLE Models for 2024 Model Year

        Today
        Mazda CX-90 - front 3-4 with house Best

        First Look: Mazda’s Bigger, More Luxurious New CX-90

        Today

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: