Police Report an Increase in Traffic Crashes in Georgia in September 2020
GEORGIA- Times-herald.com writes that Georgia police officers are recording a sharp spike in traffic crashes across the state.*
Police investigated close to two times as many crashes this September as they did in August of this year. Officers are also issuing many citations, especially for drivers who were speeding. Child restraint violations and seat belt violations also rose recently in the area. Safety advocates are urging drivers to put their phones down and avoid distractions. Statistics indicate that about 22 percent of collisions are the result of a driver who was distracted. About 16 percent of deadly crashes also involved a distracted motorist.
Traffic patterns have changed a great deal as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier in 2020, when much of the country closed down in response to the virus, the roads became emptier than ever. Although the reductions in traffic may lead people to believe that fewer crashes would occur, this is not proven true throughout the country. Unfortunately, reckless driving incidents are increasing in some areas and among some demographics. In particular, young men in rural locations are driving more recklessly than before COVID-19.
Impaired driving, including alcohol and drugs, now leads to a higher proportion of traffic fatalities then it did only a short time ago. Seat belt use is also down, and some drivers are looking at the empty roads as an invitation to reach dangerously high speeds. Prior to mid-March of 2020, 21.3 percent of drivers killed in car accidents tested positive for alcohol. Following the lockdowns, 26.9 percent of crash victims tested positive for alcohol. Cannabis rates among drivers involved in collisions also increased as did opioid use. Drug prevalence in general increased from just over half of the drivers involved in collisions to 64.7 percent. Part of the issue also appears to be the fact that drivers who are choosing to be on the road are skewing younger and male, and therefore more risk-averse older drivers are not being included in the current data.
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Sources:
https://times-herald.com/news/2020/10/gsp-local-car-crashes-rise-in-september
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a34249400/in-covid-era-more-young-men-driving-unsafely-intoxicated-nhtsa/