Americans travel billions of cumulative interstate miles every year—statistically, accidents are almost a certainty. Still, many traffic crashes and subsequent fatalities are avoidable.
In 2020, nearly 39,000 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes on U.S. roadways—an increase of roughly 7% from 2019, according to the most recent data released in 2022 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In nearly half of all fatal crashes, drivers were either speeding, impaired by alcohol, not wearing a seat belt, or some combination of those three, according to NHTSA.
Highway driving, in particular, can lead to more serious or fatal accidents than on other roadways because vehicles are traveling at much greater speeds.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has earmarked tens of billions of dollars for programs that will improve road safety in the U.S., including programs to improve physical infrastructure, vehicle safety, and data collection.