The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is projecting a significant 12% increase in the number of people killed in traffic accidents in the first nine months of last year. According to the projected estimates by the federal agency, a total of 31,720 people were killed in traffic accidents between January and September of 2021. That makes it an increase of 12 percent from the same period of time the previous year.
But the news gets worse. This increase marks the highest number of deaths in traffic accidents in the first nine months of any year since 2006. That means that fatalities during the first nine months of 2021 are projected to be the highest in more than 15 years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also estimates that the number of vehicle miles travelled in the first nine months of 2021 also increased by close to 2 percent compared to the same period of time the previous year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration divided the country into several regions with Georgia falling in Region 4. This region accounted for a 14% increase in fatalities in the first nine months of last year. Georgia’s performance mirrors the national average, and the state recorded a 12.2 percent increase in traffic accident deaths in 2021 compared to the previous year. In 2020, 1,185 deaths had been recorded in traffic accidents in the first nine months of the year, and that number has increased to 1,330 deaths in 2021. Increases were seen in 38 states, while in 10 states the numbers actually decreased, and in two states, there was no change in the numbers between 2020 and 2021.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s projected estimates came just a few days after the federal administration announced the National Roadway Safety Strategy initiative to help reduce the number of people being killed in traffic accidents every year. The National Roadway Safety Strategy promise to focus on five key areas, including safe roads and users, with a goal to reducing the number of people being fatally injured on our roads, highways and bridges every year. The incoming National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief has been very vocal about his agency’s commitment to prioritizing road safety during his term. Key to achieving this goal will be affecting change in the collective mindset that deems it normal that tens of thousands of people die in preventable auto accidents every year. We need more outrage when crash-related death estimates break records, as opposed to calm acceptance of these statistics.
The Atlanta car accident attorneys at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in car, motorcycle and bicycle accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia every year. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine your options to a claim for damages. You might qualify for compensation that includes damages for medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering and other damages. Talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your rights. Initial consultations are free.