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More than 1,000 people died in traffic accidents in Michigan last year, according to Michigan State Police, suggesting that with fewer people on the roads during the pandemic, crashes were more deadly, a traffic expert said.
In total, 1,083 people died in traffic accidents in 2020, up 10% from 2019. That rise comes despite a drop in traffic: There were about 18% fewer people on the road, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation, largely because of COVID-19 restrictions that kept people home.
Less traffic likely helped to contribute to fewer accidents, experts say. There were 245,432 crashes last year, down 21.9% from the year before and the lowest level since at least 2010, historical data show.
State Police: Traffic Crash Fatalities in Michigan Up in 2020 May 27, 2021
Nearly 100 more people died in traffic crashes in Michigan last year than in 2019, according to preliminary data released by the state police.
The state police Criminal Justice Information Center said on May 26 that 1,083 people were killed in 2020, compared to 985 in 2019. The deaths last year are the most since 1,084 people were killed in crashes in 2007.
Crashes and the number of people injured were down in 2020.
Data shows 60,986 injuries in 2020 and 74,963 in 2019. There were 314,377 crashes in 2019 and 245,432 last year.
Traffic deaths involving alcohol increased from 295 in 2019 to 326 last year.
“Even though there was a dramatic drop in traffic crashes and injuries during 2020, there was an unfortunate surge in fatalities,” said Michael L. Prince, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning director.
MSP said alcohol-involved fatalities represent 30% of traffic deaths last year, with 326 total alcohol-involved fatalities in 2020. That is an 11% increase from 2019
Michigan traffic deaths peaked above 1,000 for the first time in three years according to recently released data from the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.