“The United States has endured a large surge in traffic collisions and fatalities since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world,” announced the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in an article published on February 1, 2022, in the United States Department of Transportation website. Specifically, the article noted that approximately 31,720 individuals died from motor vehicle crashes from January through September of 2021. This represents a double-digit (12%) increase in traffic fatalities when compared to 2020. Furthermore, the projection is the highest number in fifteen (15) years. In response to this crisis of motor vehicle-related deaths, the U.S.D.O.T has instituted a “National Roadway Safety Strategy.”“The number of per-capita vehicle deaths rose 17.5% from the summer of 2019 to the summer of 2021,” the New York Times reported. That marks the largest two-year increase since World War II, according to the newspaper. “There’s a portion of the population that is incredibly frustrated, enraged, and some of that behavior shows up in their driving.” As Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington, was quoted by the New York Times: “We, in our vehicles, are given anonymity in this giant metal box around us, and we act out in ways that we wouldn’t face to face.”
These concerning statistics highlight the need for community outreach and education regarding highway safety. Our mission at Pracht Injury Lawyers is to use our legal system to provide post-crash service and care for our clients and the community at large. Further, Pracht Injury Lawyers is dedicated to accountability for reckless and careless behavior on the roadways of South Carolina. There are more car wreck fatalities than murders every year. Additionally, South Carolina has the highest death rate per 100 million miles in the United States of America. Unless and until there is real accountability in our court system for the car crash victims it is highly unlikely that we will see a decrease in the carnage on our roadways. Change must come from the community.
