New data released from the U.S. Department of Transportation on Oct. 28 shows that road fatalities jumped in the first half of 2021.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration news release says the numbers cover January through June 2021. It shows the largest six-month increase ever recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history, according to a release from USDOT.
“@USDOT releases new data showing road fatalities spiked in first half of 2021," said Coastline Academy in a tweet Nov. 3.
United States Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “This is a crisis. More than 20,000 people died on U.S. roads in the first six months of 2021, leaving countless loved ones behind."
According to the report, an estimated 20,160 people died from motor vehicle crashes in the first half of 2021, an 18.4% increase from 2020, making it the largest number of projected fatalities in a six-month period since 2006, according to the news release.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a major decrease in traffic nationwide for much of 2020.
“The report is sobering," said NHTSA deputy administrator Dr. Steven Cliff, according to the news release. "It’s also a reminder of what hundreds of millions of people can do every day, right now, to combat this: slow down, wear seat belts, drive sober and avoid distractions behind the wheel. All of us must work together to stop aggressive, dangerous driving and help prevent fatal crashes."
