A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals the COVID-19 pandemic has left a lasting deadly impact on traffic safety in the U.S. Researchers at the AAA Foundation found dangerous behaviors such as speeding, not using seatbelts, and impaired driving contributed to a significant rise in fatal crashes compared to the years before the pandemic.
AAAFTS researchers found that 114,528 people were killed in traffic crashes on U.S. roads from May 2020 through December 2022, a 17% jump in traffic deaths (nearly 17,000 additional fatalities) compared to what would have been expected under pre-pandemic trends:
- Traffic deaths outpaced forecasts the most for young adults (20-24), with teens (16-19) taking the top spot in 2021.
- Men consistently exceeded estimates by 14% to 19%, while women only did so in 2021 (15% increase).
- Black Americans, who comprise approximately 12% of the U.S. population, accounted for approximately 34% of the entire rise in traffic fatalities relative to how many would have been expected based on the pre-pandemic trend.
- Hispanic Americans, 19% of the U.S. population, accounted for approximately 25% of the increase.
- Adults 25 years and older with no education beyond high school exceeded estimates by 12% to 16%.
Notably, the new research highlights a disparity in the pandemic’s impact on traffic safety. Black and Hispanic Americans, already disproportionately affected by traffic fatalities, saw even more significant increases from 2020 through 2022. Similarly, those with less education experienced a much sharper rise in fatalities compared to college graduates.
Here is the research brief.
