Over the same period, such deaths declined in most other developed nations, according to United Nations data.
From the WSJ article: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/the-deadly-1-5-mile-corridor-that-shows-the-fatal-flaw-in-americas-road-design-8f424579
I imagine it's just one more contributing factor as well as significant phone use while driving, awful infrastructure, near non-existent requirements to get behind the wheel, and just generally terrible driving culture.
I got my first speeding ticket ever this year (whoops...) and elected to do traffic school. It was all online, like $10, and you just keep taking the test until you pass. It's just a stupid formality that teaches no one anything.