Driving was markedly down in 2020, yet a report in March found a surprising and alarming statistic: Traffic deaths actually rose last year.
The National Safety Council (NSC) says deaths from motor vehicles rose 8% last year, with as many as 42,060 people dying in vehicle crashes.
When comparing traffic deaths to the number of miles driven, the rate of fatalities rose 24% — the highest spike in nearly a century, NSC says.
If politicians were consistent, the nation’s Governors and President would immediately call for flattening the curve. It would start out as 15 days; then go to 15 months; then to 15 years, or longer. No cars on roads past a certain hour. Cars must be 500 feet apart at all times. Speed limits, even on freeways, must be capped at 15 mph. Government owns most of the roads, after all; so you can’t even claim a private property issue (not that it would matter, as we saw with COVID).
Essentially, traffic and driving as we know it MUST STOP until or unless the death rate gets to near-zero. Then we’ll reconsider. Driving deaths are a national health crisis. Anyone who questions this policy is questioning science. And is also a racist, by the way.
Sounds absurd? Give them time.
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