Why Traffic Deaths Are Steady Despite Fewer Drivers On The Road

So far this year, there have been over 2,000 traffic fatalities on Texas roads. There were 3,610 for all of 2019.

Every year, the Texas Department of Transportation keeps track of the number of traffic fatalities on Texas roads. This year, despite the pandemic and fewer people traveling, traffic deaths are not declining.

Robert C. Wunderlich is director of the Center for Transportation Safety at Texas A&M University. He told Texas Standard that it’s not only the number of drivers on the road that leads to more traffic deaths; speed also plays a major role.

“The thing about speed is it’s an exponential function, so that a 10% increase in speed can be over a 50% increase in severity, particularly in terms of fatal crashes,” he said.

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