Remote Work Changed the Roads, But Risky Driving Made Them Deadlier

A new whitepaper from Omega Law Group, examining traffic patterns in the five most populated U.S. states from 2019–2023, finds that while the pandemic slashed commuting and overall miles driven, fatal crash risk rose and then stubbornly stayed elevated. The research—drawing on federal sources including the CDC, U.S. DOT, U.S. Census Bureau, and the Insurance Information Institute—shows how remote work reshaped American roads and how risky behaviors (speeding, impairment, distraction) filled the vacuum.

A sharp mileage dip—and a partial rebound that never fully closed

Before the pandemic, U.S. drivers averaged 11,797 miles annually (2019). With shutdowns and remote work in 2020, that fell to 10,523 (-10.8%). The country’s total Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) mirrored the drop: 3.26T miles (2019) to 2.90T (2020) (-11%). Driving then crept back—3.13T (2021), 3.20T (2022), 3.25T (2023)—but still shy of pre-COVID levels. Average driver mileage also climbed—11,140 (2021), 11,327 (2022), 11,408 (2023)—ending 3.3% below 2019, signaling a lasting shift to hybrid, flexible, more local travel.

More cars, fewer work trips

Even as VMT sagged, Americans kept buying cars. Registered vehicles dipped slightly in 2020 (275.9M) but then grew past pre-COVID to 284.6M by 2023—up 8+ million since 2019. The takeaway: ownership is resilient, commutes are fewer, and travel patterns are different.

Fewer cars, more fatal crashes

Across California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania, there were 64,476 fatal crashes causing 69,944 deaths (2019–2023). The puzzler: 2020 fatal crashes rose to 12,310 from 11,544 in 2019—despite emptier roads—as speeding, impairment, and loose seatbelt use surged. The spike worsened in 2021 to 13,970 (deadliest year), eased to 13,702 (2022) and 12,950 (2023)—still 12.2% above 2019. In short: volume recovered; dangerous habits lingered.

Who and when: the risk profile

• Night vs. day: 58% of fatalities happened at night (40,353 vs. 29,182 day). 2021 had the most nighttime deaths (8,852).

• Weekday vs. weekend: 67.2% of fatalities occurred Mon–Fri (47,019 vs. 22,925 on weekends); the ratio stayed consistent through 2023 (67.9%).

• Age: Drivers 25–34 led in alcohol-impaired, speeding, and distracted fatalities (2,700+ alcohol, 3,400+ speeding, 914 distracted). The 35–44 group ranked second across the most risky causes.

• Gender: Men represented ~73% of deaths (50,973 of 69,944).

Behavior moved the needle

• Alcohol-impaired: 32% of all deaths involved BAC ≥ .08; alcohol deaths rose 34% from 4,353 (2019) to 5,833 (2023).

• Speeding: From 3,237 (2019) to a peak of 4,474 (2021) (+38%), then down but still above pre-COVID.

• Distracted driving: 946 (2019) → 1,106 (2022) → 1,018 (2023); Texas led each year.

Why it stuck: stress, substances, and enforcement gaps

Pandemic mental-health strain and substance use rose nationally; surveys showed 13.3% of adults started or increased substance use, and alcohol-related deaths jumped 26%. The whitepaper links these pressures—and lighter traffic enforcement during lockdowns- to risk normalization that persisted even as traffic returned.

Dollars and sense

Crash costs were already staggering: $340B direct economic loss in 2019 (societal harm $1.37T). By 2022, direct losses hit $465B (societal $1.9T). In 2023, injury-related costs reached $513.8B, with fatal/serious crash economic costs ~$460B and societal harm ~$1.85T.

What to do now

The paper urges: targeted evening/night enforcement, weekday commuter safety ops, speed management, impaired-driving crackdowns, digital-distraction deterrence, and age-focused campaigns (25–44). Employers can support with flexible scheduling that avoids peak risk windows and telework that preserves the congestion relief we know saves lives.

About the Study
The analysis aggregates crash, fatality, mileage, registration, and behavioral data from 2019–2023 across CA, TX, FL, NY, and PA.