WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. traffic deaths jumped dramatically after coronavirus lockdowns ended in 2020, rising 13.1% in the three months ending Sept. 30, auto safety regulators said on Wednesday.
In total, 11,260 people died on U.S. roads in the third quarter of 2020, up from 9,953 in the same period in 2019, according to preliminary data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The fatality rate jumped to 1.48 deaths per 100 million miles traveled as vehicle miles traveled remained down over 2019 levels.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
