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Posted on March 31, 2023 in Interesting Articles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released its early estimate of motor vehicle traffic deaths for the first nine months of 2022. The preliminary data indicate several changes from the previous year, including a decrease in the rate of accident fatalities but an increase in pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist deaths.
In the first nine months of 2022, 31,785 people were killed in traffic-related accidents nationwide, according to the new NHTSA data. There were 31,850 fatalities in motor vehicle accidents during the same nine months the previous year. That is a slight decrease of about 0.2 percent.
This is the first time the number of fatalities has stayed relatively the same since a dramatic increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimated fatality rate in 2022 was 1.30 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled. That is lower than the previous year’s fatality rate of 1.32 deaths per 100 million miles traveled.
NHTSA reported a 2 percent drop in speeding-related accidents in 2022. Fatal rollover crashes also decreased by 9 percent.
States in New England saw the highest increase in 2022 traffic fatalities, with a 5 percent increase from the year before. However, deaths in the Plains states decreased by 5 percent – more than any other region in the country.
California, Arizona, and Hawaii collectively saw a 2 percent decrease in vehicle accident fatalities. A similar decline occurred in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida.
Although fatalities for vehicle occupants decreased in 2022, cyclist and pedestrian deaths went up. Pedestrian deaths in the first nine months of 2021 increased by 2 percent over the same period in 2022.
Motorcyclists experienced a 5 percent increase in traffic deaths. Bicyclists saw a jump in fatalities, with an 8 percent increase in traffic deaths.
There was also an increase in road accidents in rural areas. The number of crashes increased by 12 percent during the nine-month timeframe last year compared to the year before.
Numerous factors can contribute to traffic accidents. Negligence is one of the most common. A crash can occur when a driver, pedestrian, cyclist, or another party acts negligently. That means they don’t exercise reasonable care to avoid harming others.
The most common factors contributing to traffic accidents include:
The Melonakos Law Firm provides compassionate representation to injured people in Greenville and throughout the Upstate region of South Carolina. We fight to achieve the most favorable outcomes in the cases we take. You can depend on our legal team to provide personalized attention and open communication.
If you sustained injuries in an accident due to someone else’s carelessness, contact us online for a free consultation today.
Michael, a lawyer who honed his skills at premier Atlanta insurance defense firms, specializes in cases involving trucking, auto, and premises liability, adeptly representing both local and national clients.
