Traffic Levels Plummet Amid Coronavirus, but Deadly Crashes Increase in Some Locations

USA- Usnews.com writes that states have been issuing stay at home orders and many workers are telecommuting because of the coronavirus pandemic. The results are a staggering reduction in traffic on roads throughout the nation.*

Statistics indicate that the number of vehicles on the road has dropped each week for four straight weeks. Some are calling the drop unprecedented. The price of gas has now lowered to an average of $1.80 a gallon. The AAA states that the prices are down a full dollar from the same point in time last year. Car insurance companies are even returning money to their insureds amid the massive drop in driving. 

Sadly, the traffic changes have led to some negative impacts, with some motorists viewing the nearly empty highways as an invitation to speed. The rate of speeding motorists has spiked, leading in some states to a sharp increase in fatal crashes. 

In Minnesota, for example, the rate of deadly wrecks between mid-March and now doubled this year as compared to the same period of time last year. This year there have been 24 deadly crashes while twelve took place in the same time frame in 2019. Police in Oregon stated that catching speeding motorists is an all-day-long effort now. Videos have also been posted of motorists who use the empty roads as racetracks for dangerous high-speed races.

While there are fewer passenger vehicles on the road now, long-haul trucking has only dropped around ten percent. The numbers indicate that consumers are still able to purchase goods, as they are being transported throughout the nation. One positive side effect has been a massive drop in air pollution.

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Source:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2020-04-15/low-us-traffic-levels-unprecedented-during-coronavirus-pandemic