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U.S. traffic deaths up during pandemic even though mileage down -data:
New data shows a sustained increase in U.S. traffic deaths that regulators ascribe to impaired driving, speeding, a failure to wear seats beats and other unsafe behavior since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Thursday estimated 8,730 people died in car crashes in the first three months of 2021, compared with 7,900 deaths during the same period last year.
That's a year-on-year increase of 10.5% despite a 2.1% drop in the number of miles driven, the preliminary data shows.
For all of 2020, U.S. traffic deaths rose 7.2% to 38,680, hitting the highest yearly total since 2007 - even though Americans drove 13% fewer miles. The early 2021 deaths were also the highest in a first quarter since 2007.
Acting NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff said in a statement the agency was "working closely with our safety partners to address risky driving behaviors such as speeding, impaired driving, and failing to buckle up."
NHTSA said last year that one factor in the big jump in 2020 was that drivers who remained on roads after lockdowns engaged in riskier behavior.
Some experts said that as U.S. roads became less crowded, some motorists engaged in more unsafe behavior, including those who perceived police were less likely to issue tickets because of COVID-19.
In 2020, deaths involving motorists not wearing seat belts were up 15%, speeding related deaths jumped by 10% and fatal crashes involving alcohol rose 9%.
Data suggests a higher number of serious crashes last year involved drug or alcohol use than previously.
(Score: 1) by inactiveactivist on Tuesday September 07 2021, @09:16PM (6 children)
So, 10 or 20 years ago, you were less aware. Understood.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @09:36PM (5 children)
Ooh, new sock puppet account!
10 years ago republicans were flipping out over a black President and they got pretty blustery and invested in some stupid political conspiracies, but no one worried their neighbors might flip out and start shooting them. No one expected truly batshit insane conspiracy theories to gain traction, but idiots were convinced to believe crazier and crazier lies till their brains were so bleached that trump could doodle with his sharpie.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @10:10PM
20 years ago Republicans were worried about blowjobs and weed domestically, while sending 19 year olds to other countries to machine gun down funny looking brown people. The strong moral compass, you see.
(Score: 2) by ChrisMaple on Wednesday September 08 2021, @12:13AM (2 children)
Most Republicans didn't give a damn about Obama's blackness. They cared about his hatred of America's best allies like Great Britain and his cozying up to murderous Islamic regimes. They cared about his socialistic health plan and other leftish programs. They cared about his stirring racial hatred when he should have been reducing it (remember the Harvard professor case and police acting "stupidly".)
Herman Cain and Ben Carson were both Republican contenders for the Presidency, and Republicans did not complain about their color. Bobby Jindal is hardly light-skinned, either.
The Democratic Party was founded in 1830 on race-based slavery, and their principles haven't changed. Obama was a fluke, whose suavity and extreme politics outweighed Democratic dislike of blacks.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @01:44AM
You might have had some points but then you put Trump in the White House. Now we all see your glaring hypocrisy.
Or are you able to admit that Trump is a criminal and a traitor that led an insurrection?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @03:59AM
Yes, they did. That is how we got Trump. White people pretty stupid, that way.
They also both never had a chance in hell of being the candidate, and Trump killed Cain with a .9999 certainly, just like he did John McCain. And don't get us started on the Uncle Tom black republicans, like Justice Thomas, D'inesh D'supposedto, Allan Keyes, Candace Owens with COVID-19, Allen West, and Michael Steele (but he quit).
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 08 2021, @01:45PM
New sock puppet accounts make me tingle with excitement!
Why is it that when I hold a stick, everyone begins to look like a pinata?