There once was a school of thought that fewer people were out driving America's roadways due to covid-19 and that this would mean fewer automobile accidents and thus fewer fatalities from crashes.
Recent projections from the United States Department of Transportation belie this notion with an estimated 21% increase in deaths per vehicle mile traveled. This increase and the overall rate was the highest such one in fifteen years and is an enormous problem.
Solutions to this problem are elusive as the causes remain difficult to ascertain. One issue involves the evolution of the American vehicle fleet toward trucks and SUVs. These vehicles are larger and heavier and thus when they impact pedestrians are more likely to cause fatalities.
It seems unlikely that the trends toward larger vehicles are going to abate and thus efforts to provide greater protections for pedestrians focus on so-called safety countermeasures. For pedestrian safety these contemplate pedestrian refuge islands, crosswalk visibility enhancements, rectangular flashing pedestrian beacons and cameras focused on historically problematic intersections.
Obviously, enforcement of laws governing excessive speed, and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, go a long way toward encouraging driver behavior that is less likely to result in auto crash fatalities.
