NEW YORK, May 18 -- U.S. traffic deaths jumped 10.5 percent in 2021 to 42,915, the highest number killed on American roads in a single year since 2005, according to U.S. regulators' preliminary estimate released on Tuesday.
The yearly increase is the highest reported since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began using its current traffic fatality tracking system in 1975, according to a report published on the Automotive News website.
"We face a crisis on America's roadways that we must address together," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was quoted as saying.
Traffic deaths surged after coronavirus lockdowns ended in 2020 as more drivers engaged in unsafe behavior like speeding and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, said the report.
Forty-four U.S. states and the District of Columbia all are projected to have an increase in traffic deaths, it added.
- Xinhua
Created by Tan KW | Mar 29, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Mar 29, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Mar 29, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Mar 29, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Mar 29, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Mar 29, 2024