U.S. traffic deaths jumped about 7% in the first three months of 2022 to 9,560, the largest first-quarter number since 2002, regulators said on Wednesday in a preliminary estimate.
Traffic deaths have been surging since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said. In 2021, U.S. traffic deaths jumped 10.5% to 42,915, the most people killed on American roads in a year since 2005.
The Biden administration has called the spike a 'crisis.'
Traffic deaths have jumped after pandemic lockdowns ended as more drivers engaged in unsafe behavior. Traffic deaths in the first three months of 2022 are up 21% over the 7,893 in the same period in 2020.
