In its early projections of traffic fatalities for the first half of 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that 20,175 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, an increase of 0.5% compared to the projected fatalities during the first half of 2021.
This comes after the NHTSA projected a 10.5% increase of fatalities in 2021 from 2020 — the largest annual percentage increase in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history, and the highest number of fatalities since 2005. While the second quarter of 2022 saw its first decline of fatalities after seven consecutive quarters of year-to-year increases, the numbers are still abysmal. And, according to the NHTSA, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities for more than two decades.
With 92% of people getting around by personal vehicle, it’s safe to say we are a car-dependent country. And while that likely isn’t going to change anytime soon, our fatality…
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