In comparison with the first six months of 2020, traffic deaths rose rapidly across Oregon between January and June of 2021. Research shows that Oregon is among a number of states that saw traffic fatalities increase by more than 30% during the first six months of 2021 when compared against the same span in 2020. The sharp increase raises questions about what might be contributing to the uptick.
Per CBS News, there were 21,450 road deaths nationwide between the beginning of January and the end of June in 2021. This is more than those seen during the same stretch of time in both 2019 and 2020.
Oregon road death increases
Oregon saw one of the sharpest traffic death increases in the nation during the first six months of 2021, with fatalities increasing by 51%. In total, Oregon saw 261 road deaths within this timeframe. Only South Dakota had the same 51% increase, although six additional states saw their road fatalities increase by more than 30% during the same span.
Contributing factors
More people took to Oregon’s roadways in 2021 than they did in 2020, and this likely played a role in the rising number of traffic deaths that took place within state lines. However, speed, driver distraction, alcohol abuse and other unsafe driving behaviors also had a hand in the state’s rising number of road deaths.
Many of the traffic deaths that took place in Oregon in 2020 and 2021 were avoidable and the result of motorists’ negligent actions. Those who lose loved ones due to someone else’s negligence may have grounds to hold offending drivers accountable.