Whether the incident occurred in Oklahoma or somewhere else in the United States, one thing is sure: motor vehicle accidents increased substantially in 202. This correlates with an increase in fatalities and severe injuries.
Largest percentage increase in a single year
The 10.5% increase in motor vehicle accidents in 2021 reported by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is the highest annual increase reported by the agency since it began keeping records in 1975. Risky driving behaviors, including impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding, have exacerbated this road safety crisis.
In 2021, nearly 43,000 people died in traffic crashes, about 188 people per day. The District of Columbia, along with 44 states, reported increases. In addition, crashes that occurred outside of a driver’s state of residence also increased by 15%, with many of them occurring on rural roads away from interstate highways. In total, motor vehicle accidents increased in virtually every category. Prior to 2020, traffic deaths had fallen for three straight years.
The Department of Transportation has called for a national strategy to reverse the trend, including installing speed cameras and lower speed limits to decrease crash severity. The NHTSA has pending regulations requiring all new light vehicles to be equipped with electronic automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection systems and automatic emergency braking on heavy trucks.
Complicated injury cases
With the significant increase in motor vehicle accidents nationwide comes a correlation in complicated personal injury cases. Incidents that occur away from home may require extended hospitalization followed by specialized transportation to return victims to their homes.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle accident during the past year and have sustained injuries due to the negligence of one or more drivers, you are entitled to seek compensation. By providing evidence of negligence, you may be able to receive funds that will help pay for your medical treatments, pain and suffering, and living expenses to make your life easier. You may even be able to recover money for lost wages.