The U.S. death toll was higher than any previous year, with more Americans dying on roads in the United States last year than ever since 2005. new dataFederal vehicle safety officials released this Tuesday.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (a Division of the Department of Transportation), 42,915 deaths occurred in motor vehicle accidents in 2021. This is 10.5% more than the 38,824 victims in 2020. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists and anyone else who could have been killed in a car crash.

According to the agency the 16% increase in fatalities in multi-vehicle accidents and on urban roads was the highest year-over-year rise for incident-specific data. Notable increases include: Increased fatalities among 65-year-olds; increased pedestrian deaths; and an increase in the number of people killed by crashes involving more than one truck.

Tuesday’s statement included the following: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete ButtigiegThe situation was described as “a crisis in America’s roads that must be addressed together.”

Buttigieg claimed that the Biden administration has taken “critical steps” to reverse the destructive trend, citing previously released National Roadway Safety Strategy by the agency as well as Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

According to the NHTSA, traffic deaths increased in 2221 in 44 US states and Puerto Rico.

An increase in fatalities was associated with an increase in miles driven on U.S. roadwaysCompare 2020. According to preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration, vehicle miles traveled by 2021 was about 325 Billion miles (or 11.2%) more than 2020.

Even with the increase in miles, the fatality rates based upon miles driven have remained the same since 2020. The 2020 fatality rate was 1.33 deaths per 100,000,000 vehicle miles, while it was 1.34 in 2020.