Driving changed a lot over the course of the worldwide pandemic, but although the number of cars on the road did decrease, fatal accident numbers did not. That’s according to new information revealed about the impact of deadly accidents on the road.
Every American can either attest that they have lived through a vehicle accident or know someone who has been injured in a car accident. Vehicle accidents injure millions of people every single year and kill as many people as guns do. This has led many experts to classify driving accidents as a public health crisis. Even though Americans have been driving less in the past two years due to the pandemic, vehicle accident deaths have gone up.
The increase happened even though the number of miles travelled per vehicle dropped by 13% from the previous year. This means that 2020 was the biggest single year spike in the vehicle accident fatality rate in the United States, and early data shows that 2021 might be even worse.
Between January and June of 2021, the National Safety Council shows that vehicle fatalities increased by 16% over the previous year. One leading reason why accidents might have increased and the number of fatalities rose is due to people driving at faster speeds because there was less traffic on those roads.
Family members in California who have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence might have grounds to file a lawsuit. You can speak with a wrongful death lawyer to learn more about your rights.
If you have questions about what to do after being injured in a serious vehicle accident, schedule a consultation with a knowledgeable lawyer today.