Reckless Driving Keeps Roads Deadlier Than Pre-Pandemic
Henry Hoenig
· 4 min read
Americans show few signs of abandoning the surge in reckless and negligent driving habits that fueled a big jump in traffic deaths immediately after the outbreak of COVID-19.
As the
psychological effects
of the pandemic take hold, drivers are still speeding, getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, and forgoing seat belts at much higher rates than prior to the pandemic. The results have been predictably deadly.Key Insights
- The number of fatalities during the first half of 2023 rose 15% from the same period in 2019. While that’s a 3.3% decline from the first half of 2022, fatal crashes remain far more frequent than before the pandemic first struck the U.S. more than three years ago.
- The number of fatalities from crashes involving speeding jumped 21% from 2019 to 2022, the latest year for which this data is available. Fatalities involving extreme speeds, of at least 90 miles per hour, jumped 53% in the same time period.
- The number of people killed who weren’t wearing a seat belt in 2022 was 17% higher than in 2019, accounting for 42% of all fatalities.
- The use of seat belts declined in more than half of all states—30 in total—from 2019 to 2022, with the biggest drops coming in Virginia (-9.8%), Georgia (-6.6%) and Ohio (-5.1%).
- The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who were under the influence of either alcohol, drugs or medication jumped 30% from 2019 to 2021.
On the Fly
During the earliest days of COVID, when much of the country was locked down,
thrill seekers
took to the streets and highways with excessive speed. Unfortunately, much of the general public began punching the gas when they returned to the roads. The number of fatalities from crashes involving speeding jumped 21% from 2019 to 2022.
The number of fatal crashes involving extreme speed also jumped. Those in which at least one vehicle was traveling at least 90 miles per hour jumped 53% from 2019 to 2021, the last year for which such data is available. And the number of fatal crashes in which at least one driver was traveling at least 30 miles per hour over the speed limit jumped 45% from 2019 to 2021.
Unrestrained
While drivers sped up, many also unbuckled their seat belts. The number of victims of fatal crashes who weren’t wearing a seat belt rose 17% from 2019 to 2022, when they accounted for 44% of the total.
More than half of all states—30 in total—saw a decline in seat belt use from 2019 to 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Virginia (down 9.8%), Georgia (-6.6%) and Ohio (-5.1%) saw the biggest drops.
Under the Influence
The number of fatal crashes involving drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs also surged after COVID. In 2022, the number of fatalities from alcohol-linked crashes topped the 2019 figure by 18%, according to TransUnion.
Of course, the numbers were even higher when including illegal drugs and prescription medications. The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who were under the influence of either alcohol, drugs or medication was 30% higher in 2021 than 2019, according to NHTSA data.
Thirty states saw double-digit increases, including five where the number doubled. Georgia again ranked among the worst three states.
Feeling It
People appear to be well aware of the increase in reckless behavior that makes the roads more dangerous. In a March 2023 survey by
Nationwide Insurance
, 90% of car owners said drivers are more aggressive and reckless, and speeding more frequently, than they were just a year earlier. More than one in 10 said they had been involved in an accident during the previous year, and aggressive driving was the most common cause, with 15% citing tailgating and 9% citing road rage. (The number of fatal crashes in which aggressive driving/road rage was a factor jumped 35% from 2019-2021, the latest year for which this data is available.)
In a
survey
by Jerry, nearly one in five respondents said they had witnessed one vehicle chase another in the previous year, while 17% said they saw a driver leave their vehicle to confront someone.Many recognize reckless behaviors in themselves. Nearly a quarter (23% overall, including 47% of Gen Z drivers) of respondents to the Nationwide survey said they drove faster than they did just a year earlier. And more than a third (38% overall, and 59% of Gen Z drivers) said they were more impatient than a year ago.
Naturally, 61% of survey respondents said driving is more stressful than it was a year earlier.
Methodology
Figures on fatal crashes and contributing factors from early 2023 and 2022 were taken from preliminary data from the NHTSA. All figures on fatal crashes and contributing factors prior to 2022 were also drawn from NHTSA data.
