RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina reported a record 1,755 traffic deaths in 2021, topping the previous mark set in 2007 and 5% higher than the number of deaths recorded in 2020.
Data from the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program released on Thursday showed a decline in traffic fatalities related to pedestrians, cyclists and work zones in 2021, but there was also an increase over 2020 in fatalities attributed to speeding, occupants not wearing seat belts and distracted driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the 31,720 people killed in the first nine months of 2021 represented more deaths on U.S. roads than the first nine months of any year since 2006.
