Road Deaths in US Jump to Highest Since 2005 as Driving Rebounds

Traffic fatalities surged last year to the highest level since 2005 as drivers increasingly returned to the roads following a dip during the early days of the pandemic.

Almost 43,000 people died in car crashes in 2021, a 10.5% jump from the prior year, according to a statement Tuesday from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That initial estimate represented the largest-ever one-year increase.