Fasten your seatbelts: U.S. traffic deaths rose 10%, report says

By Sean Tucker

Texas saw the most dramatic increase in drunk-driving deaths

More Americans were killed by distracted drivers in 2021 than the year before. More Americans were killed by drunk drivers in 2021 than the year before. More drivers died with their seatbelts unfastened. More bicyclists were killed by drivers. More pedestrians... there's... there's just nothing but horrific news here.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released its annual study of crashes on America's roadways, and it's a relentless parade of tragic and frustrating news.

It takes NHTSA more than a year to compile full statistics and check them for errors, so the latest report reflects car accidents in 2021, not 2022. That was a year of COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions, when police groups nationwide reported that the smaller number of drivers on America's roads were acting more recklessly than normal.

But putting numbers to the phenomenon brings the horror into focus.

There were 42,939 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes on U.S. roadways during 2021 ... a 10% increase from 39,007 fatalities in 2020, the agency says.

The total number of accidents rose by an astonishing 16%. Survivable injuries increased by 9.4%.

Type of vehicle mattered little

Americans buy more trucks and SUVs than sedans these days. That may be occurring, partly, because of the perception that larger vehicles are safer in accidents. It hasn't helped. NHTSA reports:

Being outside the car doesn't help, either. Pedestrian fatalities increased by 13%. Motorcycle deaths rose by 7.7%. Pedalcyclists (a category that includes bicyclists) saw their death rate rise by 1.9%.

Non-fatal injuries increased in every category as well.

America's drivers: drunk, speeding, and checking our texts

With all this danger on the roadways, you'd think we'd all keep our eyes on the road. We aren't. NHTSA reports that 3,522 people were killed by distracted drivers in 2021 -- a 12% increase from 2020.

"Nationwide, 31% of the total fatalities were in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes," NHTSA reports. Drunk driving deaths increased in 36 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Texas saw the most dramatic increase.

Police departments have anecdotally noted an increase in speeding in recent years. It shows in the count at morgues. "Speeding-related fatalities increased by 7.9 percent" nationwide, NHTSA says. Incredibly, the number of people killed not wearing their seatbelts increased by 8.1%.

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What can be done?

Policymakers have several tools available to try to get the death count under control. A recent law could require breathalyzer-like technology in all new cars as soon as 2026. A more extreme proposal, not yet part of any law, would require automakers to build in speed governors that prevent speeding.

Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has promoted future self-driving cars as a solution. We'd suggest he's on to something -- at least the sensors are watching the road. But his company has been locked in a battle with federal regulators over allegations that Tesla over-promises on automation and its systems are actually unsafe.

Plus: No driver? No problem. Robotaxis eye San Francisco expansion

One of America's two major car crash testing agencies has made its tests tougher this year in an attempt to force automakers to innovate new safety solutions.

See: How electric cars are creating new challenges in car safety

In the meantime, however, you have control over how much attention exactly one driver pays to the road. We recommend you lock the phone in the glove box, keep your eyes on the road, and drive like everyone else is drunk, speeding, and texting behind the wheel. Because, sadly, the numbers suggest they are.

This story originally ran on KBB.com

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04-10-23 0502ET

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