Driving was an activity that changed for many of us in 2020. So many of us worked from home and used delivery services for other needs. With the decline in miles traveled, it is alarming to learn that vehicle deaths in 2020 saw an increase.
The National Safety Council (NSC) released a report indicating the death rate rose 24% despite miles driven dropping 13%. “It is tragic that in the U.S., we took cars off the roads and didn’t reap any safety benefits,” said Lorraine M. Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. According to the release, this increase is the highest jump since 1924; 42,060 people have died in crashes in 2020, per the report estimates.
As more people are returning to the roads, what does this mean for drivers? The Road to Zero Coalition and the NSC have recommendations for how to make our streets safer. Some of those include mandatory ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers, laws banning all cell phone use, seat belt laws extending restraint to every passenger in every seat of a vehicle, to name a few.
The Council does remind us that states regularly experience swings from year to year. As data becomes more available, these numbers could change. We at Advocate Capital want to remind all of our friends out there to stay safe on the roads.
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