Page 2 - aruba-today-20220920

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 20 sepTember 2022
U.S. traffic deaths dip in Q2 but still high as pandemic eases

By TOM KRISHER and HOPE said. “There is a lot that re-
YEN mains to be done.”
Associated Press Buttigieg earlier this year
DETROIT (AP) — The num- unveiled a national strat-
ber of people killed on U.S. egy aimed at reversing
roadways fell slightly from the trend of rising deaths,
April through June, the including new federal
first decline in two years guidance and billions in
as pandemic-era reckless grants under President Joe
driving appeared to ease. Biden’s infrastructure law
But the government says over the next two years to
the number of deaths re- spur states and localities to
mains at a crisis level. lower speed limits and em-
Estimates from the Na- brace safer road design.
tional Highway Traffic But auto safety groups say
Safety Administration show the Biden administration
that 20,175 people died has remained slow to act
in crashes from January in other areas, such as rule-
through June, a 0.5% in- making to mandate auto-
crease over the same pe- matic emergency braking
riod last year. in all passenger vehicles as
Yet the second-quarter required under the 2021 in-
decline ended a string of frastructure law.
seven straight quarterly in- Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks at the North American International Auto Show “I think it’s premature to be
creases that began in the in Detroit, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. hopeful about the slight
summer of 2020 with the Associated Press dip in fatalities especially
onset of the coronavirus ning of a downward trend, this year are early, the crashes have declined considering the tremen-
pandemic. The agency es- but that the number of agency doesn’t have spe- even as deaths have dous loss that we’ve experi-
timated that 10,590 people deaths remains unaccept- cifics about why fatalities surged, suggesting reckless enced over the last couple
died this year on roadways able. “That is not the new dropped. Agency esti- driving that could now be years,” said Cathy Chase,
from April to June, nearly normal we want,” she told mates are typically close declining as offices reopen president of Advocates for
5% fewer than the same the Governors Highway to actual numbers, which and more cars return to the Highway and Auto Safety.
period a year ago. Safety Association. won’t be released until lat- road, said Michael Brooks, “We do know good safety
Transportation Secretary Fatalities began to rise er in the year. executive director of the systems, if implemented,
Pete Buttigieg said while two years ago when roads There also was a small sec- nonprofit Center for Auto will prevent many crashes,”
deaths may be declin- were largely empty due ond-quarter drop in the Safety. she said.
ing, they are still at levels to stay-at-home orders in traffic death rate per 100 “What it may be is that Nearly 43,000 people were
that require urgent action. many states. With less traf- million miles driven, from we’re seeing an easing of killed on U.S. roads last
“These deaths are prevent- fic, speeds increased as 1.34 in the second quarter some of the issues that were year, the highest number
able, not inevitable, and did reckless and impaired of 2021, to 1.27 this year, caused by the pandemic in 16 years as Americans
we should act according- driving, leading to a re- Carlson said. — speeding, open roads, returned to the roads. The
ly,” he said in a statement. cord spike in deaths last Auto safety advocates risky driving issues,” Brooks 10.5% jump over 2020 num-
NHTSA Acting Administrator year. Many people weren’t welcomed the dip but said said. “Traffic is returning to bers was the largest per-
Ann Carlson told a group of wearing seat belts, the there is more the Biden ad- normal, the roads aren’t as centage increase since
state safety officials Mon- government said. ministration can be doing empty as they were.” NHTSA began its fatality
day that she hopes the re- Carlson said that be- to reduce traffic fatalities. “The fact is the fatality rate data collection system in
cent decline is the begin- cause the estimates for For many months now, is still very, very high,” he 1975.q

U.S. migration from Venezuela, Cuba,

Nicaragua soars in August

stopped migrants from 199,976 times on the U.S. deny a chance at seek-
Venezuela, Cuba and border with Mexico in July ing asylum on grounds of
Nicaragua about 56,000 and 213,593 times in Au- preventing the spread of
times last month, up from gust 2021. The growing COVID-19. U.S. relations
49,826 times in July and numbers from Venezuela, with all three countries are
23,141 times in August Cuba and Nicaragua, are deeply strained, making
2021, according to ad- the latest sign of rapidly it difficult to impossible to
Carlos Munoz reaches out to hug Larkin Stallings of Vineyard ministration officials. At the changing migration flows send them home.
Haven, Mass., as the immigrants prepare to leave St. Andrews same time, fewer migrants as U.S. authorities wrestle Mexico agrees to accept
in Edgartown, Mass., Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. were stopped from Mexi- with unusually large influx- migrants expelled under
Associated Press co and the Central Ameri- es. While no single reason Title 42 if they are from
can "Northern Triangle" can be pinpointed, it is Guatemala, Honduras or
Associated Press soared in August as mi- countries of Guatemala, El extremely challenging for El Salvador, in addition to
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The grants from Mexico and Salvador and Honduras for the U.S. to expel migrants Mexico. While the rule ap-
number of Venezuelans, traditional sending coun- a third straight month. from those countries un- plies to all nationalities in
Cubans and Nicaraguans tries were stopped less Overall, migrants were der a pandemic-era rule theory, people from those
taken into custody at the frequently, authorities said stopped about 203,000 known as Title 42, which four countries are most
U.S. border with Mexico Monday. U.S. authorities times. They were stopped U.S. officials invoke to affected.q