The covid-19 pandemic had a surprising effect on road fatalities in 2020, new data released this week suggests. Despite people staying at home more and driving less overall, more than 42,000 Americans were estimated to have been killed during a car crash last year—a higher death toll than seen in 2019. It’s likely that increased reckless driving was to blame.
On Thursday, the National Safety Council, a long-running nonprofit organization focused on public and occupational safety, released its latest report on motor vehicle fatalities. According to their report, which relies on mortality data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 42,060 people were killed by a motor vehicle in 2020. That’s a number 8% higher than the 39,107 deaths estimated in 2019, and the first yearly increase seen in four years. In raw numbers, 2020 was the deadliest year in motor vehicle deaths since 2007. There were also 4.8 million people seriously injured by cars last year, along with an estimated $474 billion in societal costs.