New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT) reviews every single fatality that happens in Massachusetts. According to the DOT, roadway fatalities soared in 2021 to the highest level in more than a decade, and the trend continues to head in the wrong direction nearly halfway through 2022. Furthermore, motorcycle deaths are currently at a 25-year high in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, Transportation Secretary and MassDOT CEO Jamey Tesler addressed the Department of Transportation board and shared the horrifying statistics about Massachusetts roadways. As of Wednesday, June 22, there have been 175 highway deaths which are already 12 more than we had by the previous June. The tally is still being made because some crashes are still under investigation and pending results, so we can expect the number to increase.
For all of 2021, there was a total of 400 roadway deaths, which itself was a 22% increase over 2020’s statistics.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation hopes with this announcement people will be more aware on the road, less distracted and aggressive, wear a seatbelt, drive sober, and hopefully change their driving behaviors. thereby reducing accidents and fatalities.
“On any street or road in the commonwealth, no matter who owns it. It’s an opportunity to learn and do better every single time, so we are not going to rest until we stop and reverse these trends. With motorcyclist awareness, drivers should remember to ‘look twice, save a life.’ and pedestrians should be as visible as possible and use crosswalks.” said Tesler.
Want to see more statistics, or drill down into the data? The Massachusetts Department of Transportation maintains a Crash Data Portal you can visit.
