In 2020 There Were More Vehicle Fatalities Since 2007 - Roads Are Getting More Dangerous
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Special To The Auto Channel From Nick VinZant
QuoteWizard by LendingTree
November 11, 2021
America’s roads are getting more dangerous. Traffic fatalities went up 8% in 2020, and in many states, 2021 is turning out to be even more deadly. Our analysts looked at the latest information on fatal crashes and found that the number of traffic fatalities is up across almost every measurement, especially among young people and people of color.
Key findings:
- Traffic fatalities increased by 16% in the first half of 2021.
- Oregon, South Dakota and Mississippi each experienced a 50% increase in fatalities.
- People ages 25-34 saw the largest increase in traffic fatalities.
- Speeding-related deaths increased by 11% in 2020.
- Traffic fatalities among men and Black people increased by 9% and 23% respectively.
Traffic fatalities in 2021
The number of people killed on America’s roads increased by 16% in the first half of 2021. This increase, though, varies greatly from state to state. Traffic fatalities increased by 20% in 18 states and by more than 50% in Oregon, South Dakota and Mississippi.
Even more concerning is that this increase in traffic fatalities is happening after a particularly deadly year. Traffic fatalities reached a 13-year high in 2020 when 42,000 people died on America’s roads. And when compared to 2019 statistics, Vermont and South Dakota have experienced increases of 100% or more in fatalities.
The increase in traffic fatalities is closely tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first statewide coronavirus lockdowns went into effect in March of 2020, which is when we start to see an increase in the number of speeding-related deaths. This increase becomes even more pronounced during the summer, before declining toward the end of 2020. Speeding-related statistics are not yet available for 2021, but overall, the number of speeding-related deaths increased by 11% in 2020 while the total number of miles driven went down.
The increased number of speeding-related deaths is even more telling when broken down by region. We found that states in the northeast and south had the largest increases in speeding-related deaths, while the western half of the country saw declines of between 3% and 11%.
| State | # of traffic fatalities, first half of 2020 | # of traffic fatalities, first half of 2021 | % change in fatalities from 2020 | % change in fatalities from 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 411 | 487 | 18% | 9% |
| Alaska | 24 | 22 | -8% | -37% |
| Arizona | 470 | 597 | 27% | 23% |
| Arkansas | 294 | 323 | 10% | 33% |
| California | 1,523 | 1,848 | 21% | 20% |
| Colorado | 250 | 288 | 15% | 16% |
| Connecticut | 148 | 147 | -1% | 43% |
| Delaware | 47 | 53 | 13% | 18% |
| Florida | 1,716 | 1,818 | 6% | 5% |
| Georgia | 708 | 911 | 29% | 24% |
| Hawaii | 43 | 44 | 2% | -25% |
| Idaho | 77 | 107 | 39% | 16% |
| Illinois | 442 | 543 | 23% | 28% |
| Indiana | 381 | 415 | 9% | 21% |
| Iowa | 113 | 145 | 28% | -2% |
| Kansas | 206 | 166 | -19% | -18% |
| Kentucky | 327 | 370 | 13% | 8% |
| Louisiana | 384 | 431 | 12% | 28% |
| Maine | 69 | 54 | -22% | -29% |
| Maryland | 207 | 240 | 16% | 7% |
| Massachusetts | 163 | 178 | 9% | 14% |
| Michigan | 427 | 523 | 22% | 24% |
| Minnesota | 150 | 211 | 41% | 39% |
| Mississippi | 204 | 319 | 56% | 24% |
| Missouri | 445 | 476 | 7% | 26% |
| Montana | 85 | 104 | 22% | 41% |
| Nebraska | 101 | 104 | 3% | -5% |
| Nevada | 131 | 181 | 38% | 44% |
| New Hampshire | 45 | 51 | 13% | 21% |
| New Jersey | 238 | 262 | 10% | 6% |
| New Mexico | 190 | 211 | 11% | 8% |
| New York | 351 | 398 | 13% | 19% |
| North Carolina | 717 | 855 | 19% | 23% |
| North Dakota | 36 | 46 | 28% | 2% |
| Ohio | 496 | 601 | 21% | 19% |
| Oklahoma | 268 | 317 | 18% | 21% |
| Oregon | 173 | 261 | 51% | 22% |
| Pennsylvania | 513 | 536 | 4% | -4% |
| Rhode Island | 34 | 32 | -6% | 23% |
| South Carolina | 450 | 515 | 14% | 12% |
| South Dakota | 43 | 65 | 51% | 103% |
| Tennessee | 526 | 682 | 30% | 28% |
| Texas | 1,765 | 2,063 | 17% | 20% |
| Utah | 110 | 150 | 36% | 47% |
| Vermont | 21 | 28 | 33% | 155% |
| Virginia | 378 | 403 | 7% | 5% |
| Washington | 236 | 249 | 6% | 5% |
| West Virginia | 120 | 124 | 3% | 8% |
| Wisconsin | 244 | 242 | -1% | 5% |
| Wyoming | 41 | 46 | 12% | -43% |
| United States | 18,480 | 21,450 | 16% | 17% |
| Region | States in region | # of speeding-related deaths in 2020% change from 2019 | % change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont | 218 | -0.90% |
| Region 2 | New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands | 1060 | 21.00% |
| Region 3 | Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia | 1,111 | 20.40% |
| Region 4 | Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee | 1,571 | 11.00% |
| Region 5 | Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin | 1,527 | 9.10% |
| Region 6 | Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas | 2,018 | 25.50% |
| Region 7 | Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska | 771 | 11.90% |
| Region 8 | Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming | 538 | 9.60% |
| Region 9 | Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada | 1,271 | -11.40% |
| Region 10 | Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington | 410 | -3.10% |
Demographic breakdown of fatal crashes
Young people, people of color and men have been disproportionately affected by the increase in fatal crashes over the last year. The number of traffic fatalities rose by 13% among people under 24, 23% among Black people and 9% in men. Older Americans and people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, however, showed a decrease in total number of traffic fatalities.
| Race | # of traffic fatalities in 2020 | % change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| White | 29,092 | 3.7% |
| Black | 7,494 | 23.1% |
| American-Indian | 645 | 10.6% |
| Asian/Pascific Islander | 565 | -28.7% |
| All other races | 884 | 54.3% |
Most dangerous types of roads
The type of roadway and method of transportation can have a substantial impact on the severity of a crash. City highways and rural roads saw the most fatal crashes, while fatalities involving motorcycles or alcohol increased by nearly 10%. The number of fatalities involving large trucks decreased by 2%, but with nearly 4,900 people killed in 2020, the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks is still well above numbers from the early 2010s when around 3,500 people were killed.
| Roadway | # of traffic fatalities in 2020 | % change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Rural interstate | 2,049 | 3.10% |
| Urban interstate | 3,080 | 14.70% |
| Rural arterial | 7,898 | 3.10% |
| Urban arterial | 13,397 | 5.00% |
| Rural collector/local | 7,524 | 11.40% |
| Urban collector/local | 4,735 | 11.60% |
| Type | # of traffic fatalities in 2020 | % change since 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle | 5,458 | 8.80% |
| Pedestrians | 6,236 | 0.50% |
| Pedalcyclists | 891 | 5.30% |
| Involving large trucks | 4,895 | -2.20% |
| Alcohol-involved | 7,324 | 9.20% |
| Single-vehicle | 21,596 | 9.40% |
| Multi-vehicle | 17,084 | 4.40% |
| Departure | 18,553 | 3.40% |
| On-road | 20,126 | 10.80% |
The National Safety Council estimates that 42,060 people died on America’s roadways in 2020. That’s the highest number of fatalities since 2007 and it comes at an unexpected time. Americans drove 430 billion fewer miles in 2020. Traffic volume dropped 13.2% in 2020 but the fatality rate per miles driven increased by nearly 24%.
What’s behind the alarming increase in traffic fatalities? Factors vary for every crash, but the data points to young drivers going too fast on less-congested roadways. Speeding-related deaths began increasing in March, right as the first lockdowns were put in place and traffic volume started to decline. Drivers under the age of 34 had the largest increase in traffic fatalities. And single-vehicle crashes on urban highways increased by 9% and 14%, respectively.
There are signs, however, that the sharp increase in fatal crashes will be a temporary trend. The number of traffic fatalities has steadily decreased since the 1970s. And when we look at the second half of 2020, the number of fatal crashes decreased or remained at 2019 levels for the same month.
Methodology
Traffic fatality data was sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and National Safety Council (NSC). NSC data was used to calculate the number of deaths in each state in 2019 and 2020. To calculate the number of speeding-related deaths, we took the total number of deaths for each monthly period and multiplied it by the percentage of speeding-related deaths provided by the NHTSA. Definitions for types of fatalities and roadway categories follow NHTSA guidelines.
