Car Crash Fatalities Increase in New York in 2021: Report

The first half of 2021 saw an increase in car crash-related deaths in New York, according to a recent report by News 10. Citing an analysis of traffic fatality data by QuoteWizard, the report observes that “fatal crashes are up 13% in the first half of 2021,” with 251 fatal crashes during the first six months of 2020 compared to 398 fatal crashes in the first six months of 2021. 

QuoteWizard’s report, drawing on data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Safety Council, found an overall increase in traffic fatalities in 2021: specifically, traffic fatalities increased 16% over the first half of 2020. That increase is itself greater than the 8% increase in traffic fatalities from 2019 to 2020. The reports other “key findings” include a 50% increase in traffic fatalities in Oregon, South Dakota, and Mississippi. It also found that the largest share of increased fatalities was among road users aged 25 to 34, and that fatalities related to speeding increased 11% from 2019 to 2020. Breaking down the fatalities by other demographic markers, the analysis found that “Traffic fatalities among men and Black people increased by 9% and 23% respectively.”

Two states, Vermont and South Dakota, saw traffic fatalities increase by 100% or more from 2019 to 2021. The biggest spikes in speeding fatalities occurred in “states in the northeast and south,” with the region containing New York experiencing a 20.4% increase since 2019. An analysis of the “most dangerous types of road” found that the deadliest crashes took place on “city highways and rural roads.” Although trucks were involved in 2% fewer fatalities than in 2020, the report notes, “number of fatal crashes involving large trucks is still well above numbers from the early 2010s.” In that period, “around 3,500 people were killed” in incidents involving large trucks, compared to 4,900 deaths last year. 

All told, approximately 42,060 road users died in 2020, according to an estimate by the National Safety Council, even as road use decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic. QuoteWizard notes that the increase in deaths is attributable in part to “young drivers going too fast on less-congested roadways.” It projects that fatal crashes, which have been decreasing for almost 50 years, will continue decreasing despite this spike. 

More information on QuoteWizard’s analysis of traffic fatality data is available here. 

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