For a few years, fatal car accidents in the United States were trending upward. They had dropped down below 40,000 annual fatalities, but there was a spike in 2020 and 2021 that pushed the numbers back up significantly. Part of the reason for this was a reduction in traffic that increased overall speeds and meant a higher percentage of accidents led to fatalities.
However, as traffic levels have returned to normal, fatalities have declined. This began happening in the second quarter of 2022, and it has now continued for nearly 2 years. For instance, in 2023, there was a decline of about 3.6% in overall fatalities.
The totals are still high
Even though the fatalities are declining, it is important to note that the totals are still up over 40,000. Estimates for 2023 right now claim that around 40,990 people passed away in car accidents. This may be better than the 42,514 fatalities from the year before, but it’s going to be very important to see if that trend continues.
Fatality rates are also declining, however. For example, there were 1.33 fatalities for 100 million vehicle miles traveled back in 2022. That declined to 1.26 fatalities for 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2023. The statistics for 2024 are incomplete and can’t be compiled yet, but it will be intriguing to see if this fatality rate continues to follow the same trend and drops below 1.2.
No matter what way you look at the numbers, it’s clear that auto accidents are still one of the main risks that Americans face every day. Those who have been injured or lost loved ones need to know how to seek financial compensation.