Traffic Deaths Dropped Slightly in 2022 but Remain at ‘Crisis Level’

Heavy traffic moves along the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 23, 2022. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Traffic deaths across the United States dropped slightly last year, but government officials said the 42,795 people who died is still a national crisis, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) projections released on April 20.

Estimates by NHTSA showed that the number of fatalities dropped 0.3 percent, compared to 42,939 killed in 2021.