WASHINGTON — Car crash fatality rates increased 21% in 2020, even as total crashes and injuries decreased, according to a final report released Wednesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
It's the most recent crash data, indicating a major uptick in deaths between 2019 and 2020, when many Americans were confined to their homes in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. The agency said the driver in almost half of fatal crashes was speeding, driving drunk or not wearing a seat belt.
Total crashes decreased by 22% and injuries decreased by 17%. Drivers also took to the roads less, with the total miles traveled decreasing by 11% between 2019 and 2020.
