COVID-19 increased reckless driving in the US — road traffic deaths up 7% last year

Last year, 38,680 people died on the US roads, according to preliminary estimates of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Sadly, that’s the highest projected number since 2007.  Although Americans drove less during the pandemic (13% less vehicle miles traveled), NHTSA found that crash fatalities in 2020 – including motor vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and pedalcyclists – increased by 7.2%, as compared to the 36,096 fatalities reported in 2019.  Credit: NHTSATotal fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), 2019-2020 The agency’s analysis identified three main behaviors that resulted in this increase: impaired driving, speeding, and failure to wear a seatbelt.…

This story continues at The Next Web