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
Feel like this will not be a popular take here, but hear me out: I blame safety regs. Crash test standards ensconce drivers deep within a dense cage of beefy reinforced pillars and crumple zones, while "driver assists" make them complacent and disengaged. Modern people movers have worse visibility than an old farm truck and massive touchscreens you have to use to operate the windshield wipers. Peak car was like a quarter century ago, bring back the 1994 Honda Civic. The hatch specifically, that thing was dope. At least you'd notice if you hit someone in one of those