Crash Death Rate Rose More Than 23% Nationwide In May, Despite Lockdown

The grim reality of the death toll on U.S. roads during the pandemic has been unfolding for some time, and new data reconfirm it. For three straight months — from March through May — road users had a greater chance of dying from a motor vehicle crash than during the same period in 2019. 

In May, when most of the country was deep in quarantine, the fatality rate based on the number of miles driven jumped “a staggering” 23.5% compared to the previous year, despite far less traffic.

Those are the highlights of a new analysis by the National Safety Council, based on preliminary estimates from the 50 states, that showed as Americans began driving less and covering fewer miles, the emptier roads became more lethal. “Unfortunately, it appears some drivers believe open lanes of traffic mean it is open season on reckless driving,” the nonprofit advocacy group noted. 

At a time when the country should be reaping a safety benefit from less traffic, the roads are more dangerous and threaten to reverse progress made over the last few years, the safety group said. For example, after rising fatality numbers for three years between 2015 and 2017, “the country had been experiencing a leveling off and small decline” in deaths. 

Through the first five months of 2020, six states experienced notable increases in the number of roadway deaths: New Hampshire (63%), Connecticut (39%), Louisiana (15%), Missouri (12%), Arkansas (10%) and North Carolina (6%).

Nine states with notable decreases were: Tennessee (-58%), Wyoming (-52%), Mississippi (-21%), Maryland (-18%), Michigan (-13%), South Carolina (-13%), Pennsylvania (-13%), Arizona (-10%) and Florida (-4%).

The recent nationwide spike in deaths is a concern as people across the country head back to work.

“As motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of workplace fatalities,” Lorraine M. Martin, president and chief executive of the National Safety Council, said in a statement, “transportation safety should be integral to every organization.” Employers, she added,  “can make a real difference in improving safety on our roadways, helping to protect their employees, as well as other road users.”

To help employers navigate the post-lock down environment, the council, with input from its task force, developed recommendations for providing safe routes to work and enhancing transportation safety on the job. It also restated some safety basics for the general public, including urging motorists to always: 

• obey speed limits, even if roads are clear and traffic is light;
•  practice defensive driving (buckle up, designate a sober driver, get plenty of sleep to avoid fatigue, and avoid distractions); and 
• be aware of increased foot and bike traffic, particularly in urban areas. (Walkers and bicyclists, too, should remember that streets are getting congested again, and need to be extra vigilant.)

“It shouldn’t be that with fewer cars on our roads, trips are more dangerous,” Natalie Draisin, the North American director of the FIA Foundation, a nonprofit based in London, told Forbes in response to the council’s analysis. “There is only one thing to blame – speed. Right now, dealing with Covid-19, we shouldn’t also have to worry that a speeding vehicle will land us in the hospital, or the morgue. Nor is it the time to put emergency vehicles or necessary deliveries at risk.”

Draisin said that now, more than ever, it is important to observe what other cities and countries are doing to reduce road deaths and prevent unnecessary demands on the health system through speed reduction. 

 “We have a window of opportunity to address the epidemic on wheels that’s been plaguing our society for decades, at a crucial time when we cannot afford to have it compete with the current pandemic.”

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