The number of traffic deaths in the U.S. is on pace to be the highest since 2007, a downside to an improving economy and lower gas prices, according to the National Safety Council.
During the first six months of 2015, nearly 19,000 people were killed on the nation’s highways, an increase of 14 percent since 2014, the NSC reports. More than 2.2 million were seriously injured, an increase of 30 percent.
This puts the U.S. on pace for its deadliest driving year since 2007.
In Ohio, there were 499 traffic fatalities during the first six months of 2015, a 17 percent increase from 2014.
“As a safety professional, it’s not just disappointing but heartbreaking to see the numbers trending in the wrong direction,” Deborah A.P. Hersman, president of the council, tells the Associated Press.
The NSC says lower gas prices and the drop in unemployment means more drivers are on the road, which could be contributing to the increase.
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