Spiking Accident Deaths amidst Covid-19 Lockdown
With the COVID-19 pandemic taking shape, millions of Americans were excluded from their daily routine and normal activities. Due to work from home orders, a remote work transition, and the shared goal of flattening the curve, in 2020 Americans have gone less and covered less than in previous years.
But the mileage death rate rose dramatically in 2020 despite the decline in miles covered. According to New York Times, traffic deaths rose nationwide for the first time in the years between April and June with fatalities up 30% compared to the first three months of the year, data provided for the National Safety Council and the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many accident lawyers of NYC and Oklahoma City claimed the same.
The trend was even stronger in New York City. Officials say there had been at least 243 deaths in NYC in 2020 – the deadliest year since the start of the Vision Zero initiative of Mayor De Blasio in 2014.
Why Emptier Streets Led to More Deaths?
The increase in traffic deaths appears at first glance to counteract common sense and historical trends. U.S. roads tend to see fewer fatal crashes during economic downturns and reduced traffic congestion.
But in 2020 things were very different, and the increase in COVID traffic time was reported by federal researchers to be closer to why car drivers went on roads and how their driving behavior changed. Many car accident lawyers also pointed out similar factors. A closer inspection of the figures reveals some of the trends behind traffic deaths:
Vehicles have become a way to escape
In the middle of lockdowns and limited social activity, more Americans began to see their cars as a kind of personal refuge and found freedom on open roads. This applied in particular to younger drivers who are more likely to take more risky driving behaviors and participate in fatal crashes. Furthermore, experts believe that drug and drunk driving could have contributed to increased fatality rates in traffic.
Though roads were emptier, many people chose to go by vehicle instead of risking contracting the virus on public transport or on aircraft, particularly during heavy periods of travel, such as on vacation.
Dramatically Increased Speeding
More speed tickets were issued during COVID than ever before in many parts of the country. In California, 87% more tickets were issued by law-enforcement for drivers over 100mph in the first month of the State lockout alone, and in April, Georgia State Troopers cited 140 drivers for 100mph+ trips for one period of two weeks.
Automated traffic cameras issued nearly twice the number of speed tickets per day last year compared with 2019.
Oklahoma had increased traffic speed by more than 80% in 2020.
The most fatal collapses in the city reported were high speeds, and the most frequent occurrences in high-Speed wrecks were late in the night and on roads outside of Manhattan.
More deaths on motorcycles have been seen in the city where only drivers have been injured or killed, indicating that motorcyclists are also on higher rates.
The problem of the city's speed was so grave that officials in NYC reduced their speed limits by 5mph on 9 of the most congested highways in the five districts.
Stay on NYC routes all secured
Although the latest numbers are subject to several factors, the basic fact is that road hazards are significantly greater during COVID than before. While emptier streets can lead to a fake security sense, the data do not lie: a car crash is more likely to die than before the pandemic. The facts are not clear.
Contact with expert car accident lawyers of Foshee and Yaffe Attorneys at Law in Oklahoma City to learn why such deaths have increased and how to deal with accidents if it is not fatal.
**Disclaimer: This content is not to be construed as legal advice nor does it establish terms of a client-attorney relationship.