A photo showing the aftermath of an accident between a car and a motorcycle. The car sits in the background while a laid-out motorcycle and helmet lay on the pavement in the foreground. The increased fatality numbers in 2021 also come alongside an increase in travel after the initial pandemic lockdowns, with an estimated 325 billion-mile increase (about 11.2%) over 2020. (Credit: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock)

An estimated 16-year high 42,915 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021, up 10.5% from the 38,824 auto fatalities in 2020, says a recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). This jump is the largest annual percentage increase in the history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) revealed their National Roadway Safety Strategy to combat this increase, and the plan is now receiving resources from the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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Brittney Meredith-Miller

Brittney Meredith-Miller is assistant editor of PropertyCasualty360.com. She can be reached at [email protected].