U.S. road traffic deaths well above pre-pandemic levels

OLYMPIA, Washington. – At the height of the pandemic, fewer people traveled to work.

Travel experts say those on the road tended to speed, travel in a wheelchair and not wear seat belts.

“That was part of what we saw during the pandemic,” said David Harkey of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “And we see that this continues to be a problem as we emerge from the pandemic.”

According to Harkey, the presence of the police and its strategy must improve in order to reduce the amount of fatal accidents.

NHTSA SAYS US ROAD DEATHS INCREASED IN 2020 DUE TO RISKY DRIVING

US traffic deaths on the rise after pandemic
(Fox News)

2021 US VEHICLE DEATH RISES TO 16-YEAR RECORD OF 42,915 IN 2021

“We need to get better at law enforcement,” Harkey said. “Identifying high-failure locations and taking action that we know works.”

Just under 31,800 people died in traffic accidents in the first nine months of last year, according to the latest figures from the transformation department. This is slightly less than the same period in 2021, but much higher than in 2020 and 2019.

Road traffic deaths have declined slightly in 2022, but are still higher than before the pandemic.
(Fox News)

“Every death is a trickle effect,” said Washington State Patrol Sergeant Chelsea Hodgson. “It affects the family. It affects the community. It affects first responders.”

Hodgson’s department had hard times finding enough officers to patrol the roads.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“There is a shortage of manpower across the country,” Hodgson said. “We feel it too in our agency. And we’re also focused on hiring to help fill those positions so we have a better presence to help reduce that.”