Report Shows Increased Risks of Fatal Car Accidents With Less Traffic

A  by the National Safety Council found some good news and bad news about 2020: while the pandemic led to fewer cars on the road and fewer total crashes, the number of and percentage ofincreased dramatically. The percentage of car accident deaths to miles driven rose by 24%; which is believed to be the largest jump since 1924.

Here are the national numbers:

• Total Motor-Vehicle Deaths: 42,060 (up by 8%)
• Annual Population Death Rate: 12.8 per 100,000 (up from 11.9)
• Estimated Mileage Death Rate: 1.49 deaths per 100 million miles (up from 1.2)
• Estimated Vehicle Miles: 2,830,000,000 (down from 3,260,000,000)

Locally, we’re not yet sure if motor vehicle deaths increased or decreased from 2019 to 2020. We will keep an eye out for those statistics. However, dipped dramatically below normal levels during the months of March, April and May If the national trends hold true, it’s possible that local auto accident deaths increased even though there were fewer cars on the road. With less traffic, drivers may have maintained a higher average speed, possibly paid less attention, and took more risks while driving. 

As onevsaid in the Wall Street Journal last April, “There’s a lot more available lane space for people to use – and abuse.”

What to do if you lost a loved one in a car accident

If you lost a loved one in a car accident, and it was due to another party’s negligence, you may be eligible to file what’s called a  . There is no possible way to make up for the death of a loved one, but there are recoverable damages that a survivor could seek from the responsible party’s insurance coverage. They include any medical bills that were incurred, funeral/burial expenses, lost wages, and compensation for the support or care that the loved one was providing. It’s also possible to recover compensation for a surviving loved one’s pain, suffering and loss of companionship.