Part of starting a new year is looking back on what happened the prior year to see what lessons we can learn from that will help to make for a better new year. 2020 was a time of change for many Florida families, but unfortunately car accidents remained part of the events that made 2020 challenging.
While there were more people staying home with fewer people on the roads, the country still saw a steep increase in the first nine months of the year. In some cases, drivers were taking advantage of the open road to drive faster than usual; for others, the day’s stress caused them to lose their focus in driving.
Here’s what you should know about the early statistics for car crashes in 2020.
Fatalities
Car crashes come in all shapes and sizes, from fender-benders to multi-car collisions. Some drivers can walk (or drive) away from the scene, but others suffer severe injury or even death.
2020 was an unfortunate exception to the rule. In the previous five years, the United States saw fatality rates between 1.10-1.16 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). In 2020, the rate is estimated to be 1.35 per 100 million VMT.
In terms of total fatalities, there were 28,190 fatalities nationwide for the first nine months of 2020, which was about 1,200 more deaths than during the same period the year before.
Creating a safer drive in 2021
As you strive to make 2021 a crash-free year, it is essential to remember basic safety habits when you are behind the wheel. While they may seem commonsense, crashes were often related to behaviors such as:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
When you practice defensive driving, you can help yourself, your passengers, and the drivers around you avoid an unfortunate collision.
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