Last year’s traffic fatalities in Michigan were the highest they’ve been since 2007.
That’s according to the latest statistics from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
The office’s Communications Section Chief, Kendall Wingrove, says the overall number of crashes dropped by over 20 percent, but the number of deaths increased.
“So, even though there were fewer crashes, more crashes were severe. You were more likely to be killed in a crash, even though there were fewer crashes in 2020,” Wingrove says.
Wingrove says they’re still trying to determine the cause of the increase, but they speculate an increase in speed caused by there being fewer people on the road may have contributed to it.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
— Taylor Pinson is a writer/reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him studio@wemu.org
