Why Are Traffic Deaths Rising? Time to Rethink Road Safety

As the holiday season rolls around, millions of Americans are gearing up to hit the roads. Over the years, we’ve seen some fantastic progress in making those roads safer. Thanks to better cars, smarter drivers, and more thoughtfully designed streets, the number of people killed per mile driven has been steadily dropping for decades, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But here’s the kicker—despite all these positive changes, traffic fatalities have recently spiked in a big way. In the first half of 2016 alone, driving fatalities shot up by 9%. So, what’s going on?

Pinning down the exact cause of this sudden rise is tricky. It’s likely tied to the increase in driving as the economy grows and the population expands. Other possible factors include urban sprawl, the increasing number of elderly drivers, drug-impaired driving, and, of course, distracted driving.

Until we nail down the root cause, finding solutions will be tough. One thing’s clear, though: we can’t just build our way to safer roads. Infrastructure investments need to be smarter, targeting specific problem areas like congestion hotspots and frequent accident sites instead of just throwing up more roads and hoping for the best.

A big part of being strategic involves leveraging the right technology. Distracted driving is a nationwide issue, partly because everyone’s got a mobile device glued to their hand. Other tech advances aim to help us travel further, faster, and more easily—but that’s where the problem lies. We need to shift our focus from just speeding up travel to making safety the top priority. Safety shouldn’t be an afterthought; it should be the main goal.

We also can’t forget about disadvantaged communities. Many low-income areas lack safe pedestrian paths, bike lanes, and public transit, which can make their roads even more dangerous. Rural areas, too, face high injury mortality rates, much of which is related to car crashes.

The good news? The movement for safer roads is gaining momentum. So, let’s keep pushing for smart solutions that put safety first.