The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a statement claiming that 2021 driving conditions are the most dangerous the organization has seen in a decade.
The Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Quarter of 2021 released by the NHTSA revealed that there was a 10.5% increase in the number of deaths that occurred during the first three months of this year compared to 2020.
“We must address the tragic loss of life we saw on the roads in 2020 by taking a transformational and collaborative approach to safety,” Steven Cliff, NHTSA acting administrator, said in the NHTSA press release. “Everyone—including those who design, operate, build and use the road system—shares responsibility for road safety. We are working closely with our safety partners to address risky driving behaviors."
During the first three months of 2021, NHTSA estimates a total of 8,730 people died in motor vehicle crashes, according to Car and Driver.
The statistics also showed that the fatality rate for the period of January to March this year increased to 1.26 fatalities per 100 million VMT (vehicle miles traveled), up from the projected rate of 1.12 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the same period last year, the highest fatality rates recorded during the first three months of the year since at least 2009.
NHTSA is pushing for breaking bad driving habits that have formed over the past year by stopping impaired, distracted and drowsy driving along with pushing for people to continue wearing seatbelts, Car and Driver reported.
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