NHTSA: Traffic deaths rise again as drivers take risks

The Associated Press

The government’s road safety agency reported Thursday that U.S. traffic deaths in the first quarter of 2021 rose by 10.5% over last year, even as driving has declined. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s estimated that 8,730 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes from January through April, compared with the 7,900 fatalities from the same period in 2020. The increase in traffic fatalities is a continuation of a trend that started in 2020, a year that saw the most traffic deaths since 2007. The government says drivers continue to take too many risks on the road.