U.S. traffic deaths estimated to rise to 46,000 in 2022: Jalopnik

Vehicles run on a road in Foster City, California, the United States, Aug. 25, 2022. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

"From drivers and passengers to pedestrians and cyclists, road users of all ages are perishing in preventable crashes in the United States," says Lorraine Martin.

NEW YORK, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The nonprofit National Safety Council (NSC) released a preliminary death toll for auto fatalities in the United States and found that the toll is expected to exceed 46,000 in 2022, reported U.S. news portal Jalopnik on Tuesday.

"For all of 2021, traffic deaths were at a 16-year high, at around 43,000. In response, the federal government did basically nothing besides promise some future programs and funding, and we likely will get another record-breaking year in 2022 for car crash fatalities," the report cited a recent estimate.

Estimates also reveal a staggering statistic: compared to pre-pandemic 2019, the mileage death rate in 2022 increased nearly 22 percent, showing just how dangerous it is to use American roads, according to the report.

"From drivers and passengers to pedestrians and cyclists, road users of all ages are perishing in preventable crashes in the United States," said Lorraine Martin, NSC president and chief executive officer.

"Each crash that occurs on America's roads is entirely preventable and unacceptable. We must change the way we think about designing and moving around in our communities, understanding that people will make mistakes and the cost of those mistakes should not be serious injury or death," she added.