US Traffic Deaths in First Half of 2022 Hit 16-Year High

US Traffic Deaths in First Half of 2022 Hit 16-Year High
Traffic at twilight along 42nd St. in the Manhattan borough of New York on March 27, 2019. Carlo Allegri/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:
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WASHINGTON—U.S. traffic deaths rose 0.5 percent in the first half of 2022 to 20,175, the highest number killed in the period since 2006, according to an early estimate released by U.S. regulators.

Traffic deaths have jumped after pandemic lockdowns ended as more drivers engaged in unsafe behavior. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Monday in the second quarter, traffic deaths fell 4.9 percent, the first decline in fatalities after seven consecutive quarters of year-over-year increases in fatalities but still substantially above pre-pandemic levels.