Traffic volume fell sharply in 2020, yet more people died on U.S. roads. The difference matters because traffic counts alone do not tell us how dangerous a trip will be. Speed, impairment and whether an occupant is restrained can change the outcome of a crash even when the road looks open.
What the 2020 numbers actually show
In its March 2, 2022 release of 2020 traffic crash data, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration counted 38,824 deaths nationwide. Vehicle miles traveled fell 11 percent from 2019, while the fatality rate rose 21 percent to 1.34 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. Police-reported crashes and estimated injuries declined, but fatal crashes increased.
NHTSA’s earlier 2020 estimate used provisional figures. The 38,824 figure above is the count in the March 2022 release, not a permanently fixed total. NHTSA’s April 2026 Distracted Driving in 2024 report lists a revised 2020 total of 39,007. Keep the release date and data version with any comparison. NHTSA identified speeding, alcohol impairment and failure to wear a seat belt among the behaviors associated with the rise. The data describe a national period; they do not establish what caused any particular Louisiana collision.
Later trends should also be kept separate from that 2020 finding. For example, NHTSA’s early 2024 estimate projected a lower fatality rate than at the pandemic peak. It was an estimate when issued, not a final count or a reason to dismiss the risk in an individual crash.
Why an open road can still be deadly
A driver may feel comfortable accelerating on a lightly traveled road. That speed leaves less time to perceive a turning vehicle, a pedestrian or a stopped car. It also increases the energy released in a collision. NHTSA found 2020 fatalities in speeding-related crashes rose 17 percent from 2019. That statistic does not mean every fatal crash involved speeding, but it helps explain why fewer vehicles did not produce fewer deaths.
Alcohol impairment and nonuse of seat belts were other documented factors. The CDC’s seat belt guidance explains the protection belts provide to front-seat occupants. Whether a belt was worn may be relevant to injury severity and fault arguments, but it does not answer who caused a collision. A crash investigation needs the actual vehicle movements and evidence, not an assumption drawn from national averages.
When a family needs answers about one collision
A fatal crash may leave several incomplete accounts: the first police narrative, a witness’s view from one angle and an insurer’s early position. Vehicle damage, roadway marks, photographs, surveillance video, event data and phone records may help test those accounts. Some records are overwritten or vehicles are moved or salvaged, so their location and condition should be documented promptly.
Families can keep the crash report number, investigating agency, tow-yard details and contact information for witnesses. If a survivor was also injured, medical care comes first. Symptoms after a head injury may evolve, as MedlinePlus explains. Tell treating clinicians about new symptoms rather than assuming the first evaluation captured everything.
Our Louisiana wrongful death and survival guide explains the two distinct civil claims. A survival action concerns losses the injured person sustained before death. A wrongful death action concerns losses to eligible relatives resulting from the death. Civil Code article 2315.1 and article 2315.2 specify who may bring them and their filing periods.
The current non-malpractice provisions generally use the longer of one year from death or two years from injury. Those amendments took effect August 1, 2025, so earlier deaths need a date-specific review. Medical malpractice death claims have separate rules. Fault also requires date-specific analysis: Civil Code article 2323 added a 51 percent recovery bar effective January 1, 2026; earlier claims may be governed by the prior comparative-fault rule. Article 2323(C) separately prevents reducing a negligent claimant’s recovery against an intentional tortfeasor by that negligence. The wrongful-death eligibility guide and guide to common causes of wrongful death give more detail.
When a federal employee or vehicle may be involved, the Federal Tort Claims Act’s administrative-claim requirement and federal timing rule may apply. That is a separate inquiry from an ordinary Louisiana crash claim.
For help with a particular loss, our Louisiana injury services explain the types of claims the firm handles.
The useful lesson from 2020 is to investigate the collision in front of you. Lower traffic volume never proves that a driver was careful or that the road was safe. If your family needs help preserving evidence and identifying the right claim, contact Babcock Injury Lawyers with what you know about the date, location and vehicles. Missing records can often be requested, but waiting may make them harder to obtain.
Babcock Injury Lawyers offers a free case review. Call (225) 500-5000 to discuss the records you have. Trial preparation and knowledge of how insurers evaluate evidence help us identify the questions a claim must answer. The Babcock Benefit explains our approach to client service.
Questions about the 2020 figures
Are these the latest traffic-death figures? They describe 2020. Later releases can revise that year, and a comparison with today needs matching years and definitions.
Do the figures prove fault in one crash? No. National patterns provide context; the particular collision still needs its own evidence.