Record 20K Killed On US Roads In Ist Half Of Year

The US had an 18.4% spike in traffic deaths in the first half of this year & it’s the largest 6-month increase on record. THAT IS 20K PEOPLE KILLED on the road in just 26 weeks, according to the Department of Transportation & since such stats were compiled starting in 1979. Ugly news, pretty easy to turn around? If only folks simply drive sober, buckle up, slow down?

While vehicle miles jumped 13%, the DOT said “incidents of speeding & traveling without a seat belt remain higher than during pre-pandemic times.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also suggests that more drivers were operating their vehicles under the influence alcohol and other drugs. An NHTSA study found that the proportion of drivers with opioids in their system nearly doubled after March 2020, while the number of drivers testing positive for marijuana rose by about 50%.

The Fox News coverage didn’t address possibility an increase in stress and/or depression due to the pandemic and its restrictions. Yet, Fox noted, as measurable speeds have increased, the severity of crashes has gotten worse” as seen, e.g., in higher ejection rates.

Davd Soul