Sarasota-Manatee was among the many areas of the country which saw traffic fatalities rates rise. “We have attributed the 7% increase in regional fatalities in Manatee and Sarasota counties to higher speeds,” said Corinne Tucker, a multi-modal planner for the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization. “The higher speeds can be attributed to the lower volumes on the roadways during the height of the pandemic.” The MPO estimates that 121 people were killed in 2020 in the area, largely due to crashes involving a vehicle moving outside of its lane. This comes at a time when the total crashes in that period decreased by 11%. While traffic fatalities have increased, serious injuries during the last year decreased 28% from 1,343 in 2019 to 965 the following year. Bicyclist and pedestrian deaths and serious injuries fell by 12%.