The Connecticut Department of Transportation has some bad news for those of us concerned about traffic safety. The department’s Office of Highway Safety recently announced that deaths in car accidents rose 16 percent in 2021.
The OHS reported 290 traffic fatalities on Connecticut highways and streets in 2021 as of Nov. 12. In 2020, 257 people were killed, and there were 216 deaths in 2019. This troubling trend is probably due to various reasons, but experts say that speeding went up significantly nationwide during the lockdowns of 2020.
Why are traffic deaths increasing?
With the roads much emptier than usual, a lot of drivers took that as an invitation to drive 70, 80 or 90 mph — or faster. No matter the traffic conditions, speeding is dangerous and raises the risk of a serious crash. Now that lockdowns are over and people have more places to go, it appears some drivers are continuing the bad habits they picked up in 2020.
New Haven is not immune to this problem. In 2019, the city reported no deaths in car accidents caused by aggressive driving. But five were killed in such incidents in 2020. Five more died in alcohol-related crashes last year, matching the total for 2019 but up from just one such death in 2018.
Seeking justice after a car accident
Hopefully, this trend will end in 2022. But while most car accidents are survivable, victims can still suffer severe, needless injuries like brain trauma and spinal damage. Reckless, negligent drivers should be held responsible for the harm they inflict on others. One way of doing this is to take them to court for compensation for your injuries. You can seek compensation for things like your hospital and car repair bills, lost wages, and the pain and suffering you have endured since the crash.
