‘Deadly step backwards’: US traffic deaths soar to highest total in 16 years

Nearly 43,000 people killed last year as Americans returned to the roads after deserting them early in the pandemic

Nearly 43,000 people were killed on US roads last year, the highest number in 16 years, as Americans returned to the roads after the coronavirus pandemic forced many to stay at home.

The 10.5% jump over 2020 numbers was the largest percentage increase since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began its fatality data collection system in 1975.