Traffic fatalities grew 10.5% in the first three months of the year even as overall driving declined, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which cited speeding and other risky behaviors that emerged when the pandemic reduced the number of cars on the road.
The estimate released Sept. 2 showed that 8,730 people died in car crashes in the first quarter of 2021, up from 7,900 for the year-prior period.
“We must address the tragic loss of life we saw on the roads in 2020 by taking a transformational and collaborative approach to safety,” Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s acting administrator, said in a statement.
