Traffic deaths have steadily increased in the US over the past few years. 2022 is currently at its peak, and up to this point, there has been such a drastic spike that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now sounding an alarm about the worrying trends.
According to data from this multistate agency, in the first quarter of 2022 alone, close to 10000 people have died from road crashes, an alarming figure that is up 7 percent from the same period in 2021.
This worrying trend is not isolated to 2022. In 2021, traffic deaths soared to a 16-year high, and now in 2022, they are up at a 20-year high. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, traffic deaths reached numbers that have not been witnessed since 2002.
According to Jonathan Adkins, the Executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), these figures have risen for three years. Despite the measures implemented by various state agencies, the results are minimal.
The Reasons Behind the Ever-increasing Traffic Deaths
According to Adkins, the reasons behind the concerning traffic fatality numbers are multifaceted. Possible causes include dangerous driver behavior and less traffic enforcement on US roads.
Other possible factors he cited included motorists disregarding traffic rules, reckless driving, speeding, and driving under the influence of drugs. Out of all these factors, overspeeding seems to be the most significant driver of increased traffic fatalities.
Measures To Curb Increasing Traffic Fatality Rates
According to Adkins, multiple states have reported that more and more people are speeding. He argues that state agencies need to bring the same attention to speeding as they did to DUIs. By enforcing the same stringent laws, the rates of overspeeding and consequent crashes could decrease.
Other state agencies are also inputting various measures to mitigate the rising rates of traffic fatalities. For instance, President Biden’s transportation department has enacted multiple measures to deal with this issue. An example is the Bipartisan infrastructure law, which was announced in January 2022.
It focuses on factors such as driver behavior, better and safer road design, safer speeds, safer vehicles, and better post-crash care. Moreover, according to NHTSA, $5 billion is intended to be directed at grants to protect cyclists and pedestrians.
Other Programs
According to NHTSA, several other programs have been undertaken in a bid to make US roads safer for motorists. They include the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Labor day campaign, which is directed at reducing DUIs, and the Speeding Wrecks Lives campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding.
Other measures include grants directed at addressing overspeeding and impaired driving. Also, other grants are directed to protect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians.
“With the ever-increasing rates of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities due to road accidents, vehicle safety is undergoing a paradigm shift to offer more protection to this class of road users,” says attorney Bill Umansky.
Accordingly, reports have alluded that measures are underway to implement a new standard for vehicle ratings where pedestrian safety ratings will now be included for the first time.
Final Words
Traffic fatality rates are up to staggering heights. With numbers not seen for almost two decades, it is time we all come together and identify the causative factors and implement ideal mitigatory measures. The implementation of traffic safety will not only save countless lives but better impact future generations.