It’s getting more dangerous on the roads. Did Mississippi motorists forget how to drive? Are there more individuals driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Personal injury statistics paint a disturbing picture.
Americans drove fewer miles but lost more people
For a variety of reasons, plenty of drivers parked their cars and stayed at home in 2020, decreasing the miles that Americans drove by about 13%. Nevertheless, there were an estimated 38,680 traffic fatalities last year. This number represents a 7% increase from 2019.
The demographic that experienced the greatest losses were motorcycle riders. Bicyclists also saw the number of deaths increase. The same goes for drivers of passenger cars. In contrast, the number of pedestrian fatalities didn’t change.
Checking the teen demographic for answers
Statistics prove that first-time drivers between 16 and 19 years of age are in the highest accident category. Therefore, it might be inexperience that is leading to more deadly crashes rather than drug or alcohol use. A 16-year-old motorist may not have the knowledge to check blind spots for bikes.
Also, consider that more people were bored at home during 2020. This means that more teens were hanging out and driving together. Teens transporting teens is another significant risk factor for accident involvement.
They were in an accident; now what?
It doesn’t matter how old the driver is when they’re in a crash resulting in a fatality. If they caused the crash, there will be questions of liability. If they didn’t, there might still be legal ramifications. In addition, they may struggle with physical injuries and mental anguish.