Newly released estimates from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that traffic fatalities jumped by nearly 12 percent during the first nine months of last year compared to the same period in 2020. That's "the highest percentage increase during the first 9 months since NHTSA started collecting fatality data in 1975," notes a press release from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The headline: "New Report Reveals Staggering Increase in Traffic Fatalities on U.S. Roadways in First 9 Months of 2021."
Notably missing from MADD's press release: any mention of the COVID-19 pandemic, which in 2020 led to a sharp reduction in driving, thanks to a combination of voluntary precautions and legal restrictions. Driving has rebounded since then, which makes a crucial difference in assessing the change highlighted by MADD. Far from showing a "staggering increase," the estimated fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) was essentially the same during the first nine months of 2021 as it was in the first nine months of 2020: 1.36 vs. 1.35.
