Motor vehicle fatality rates jump 36.6% in April despite quarantines
Americans apparently did not reap any safety benefits from having less roadway traffic.
Estimates from the National Safety Council show a year-over-year 36.6% jump in fatality rates per miles driven in April, in spite of an 18% drop in the total number of roadway deaths compared to April 2019. The actual number of miles driven dropped 40% compared to the same time period last year. The mileage death rate per 100 million vehicle miles driven was 1.47 in April compared to 1.08 in 2019.
Through the first four months of 2020, the following states have experienced notable increases in the number of roadway deaths: Arkansas (24%), Connecticut (45%), Illinois (6%), Louisiana (17%), Minnesota (6%), Nevada (7%), North Carolina (7%) and Oklahoma (6%).
States with notable decreases include Arizona (-12%), Colorado (-5%), Hawaii (-34%), Idaho (-36%), Indiana (-16%), Iowa (-16%), Maryland (-14%), Michigan (-17%), New Jersey (-9%), Oregon (-28%), South Carolina (-12%) and Washington (-16%).
For the three-day Independence Day holiday period starting at 6 p.m. ET Thursday, July 2, NSC estimates 405 potential fatalities, with alcohol as an expected primary factor in nearly 40% of the deaths.
“Even without traffic, our roads were no safer,” said Lorraine M. Martin, NSC president and CEO. “It is heartbreaking to see the carnage on our roadways continue, especially when our medical professionals should be able to focus intently on treating a pandemic rather than preventable car crashes. These numbers underscore our urgent need to change the culture of safety on our roads.”
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
