Over the last few years, there has been an interesting trend when it comes to fatal car accidents. Cars are getting safer as technology develops, and some of these years – such as 2020 and 2021 – even had lower traffic levels, with far fewer people on the road. But instead of seeing fatal accident totals go down, they had been trending up.
There are many reasons why this happened, including increased vehicle speed during those reduced traffic levels. Other issues include impaired driving, distracted driving, reckless driving, lack of seatbelt use and much more.
But the latest reports show that these accidents may finally be declining again. Granted, 2023 has not concluded yet, but early projections show slightly lower numbers.
What the studies have found
The number of miles being driven has been going up. When you compare July of 2023 to July of 2020, the total miles driven is about 8.2% higher.
Even so, the number of total fatalities in July 2023 is 3% lower than what was found in 2021. It is also 1% lower than what was found last year, in 2022. The mileage fatality rate, which is calculated by looking at the number of deadly accidents for every 100 million vehicle miles, dropped from 1.54 back in July of 2020 to 1.44 in July of 2023.
This is certainly a positive trend that shows the roads may be getting safer. Part of the reason for this could be that traffic levels are increasing again, which is leading to traffic congestion and causing drivers to slow down. After all, these stats only track fatal accidents, which are more likely at higher speeds.
But many accidents resulting in injuries – some of them very serious – are still occurring. Those who have been injured or who have lost loved ones must know all of the legal steps they can take to seek compensation.