Since March of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States, most cities and states have been on some kind of lockdown that has reduced the amount of people outside their homes. Many people are still working from home and only leave their houses when they need something. Because of this, less people are on the roads. Unfortunately, this hasn’t reduced risky behavior.
When someone else is negligent, pandemic or not, it can cause a collision between their vehicle and yours. This can lead to injuries and other damages that you have to seek out medical attention or repairs. A car accident lawyer from Buckingham & Vega Law Firm in Albuquerque can help you recover the compensation that you deserve for your damages.
What Studies Are Finding in Driving Behavior
Although the lockdowns kept more people inside and off roads and highways, studies are finding that fatal accident rates are actually going up, not down. The National Safety Council released data estimates that showed despite fewer cars on the road, drivers were acting more recklessly and causing more fatal accidents. Fatality rates increased by 14 percent in March alone, which shows how motorists are driving during the shutdowns.
Drivers have learned risky behaviors like driving at higher speeds than usual during COVID-19. In California, some drivers are choosing to drive at reckless speeds and are receiving citations. According to the California Highway Patrol, they issued nearly 2500 citations for excessive speed just from March to April 2020, which is a reported 87 percent increase from 2019. Drivers were going over 100 miles per hour for those citations.
In Canada, Toronto police are reporting similar findings. Although they’re not in the United States, their reports reflect what’s happening in our country as well. Toronto police saying there was a 35 percent increase in speeding offenses in March alone, as well as a 200 percent increase in stunt driving offenses.
As a result of these reckless behaviors that drivers are learning, speed-related collisions are increasing. This could be the main reason that fatality rates are increasing across the country—higher speeds equal deadlier collisions.
Other Groups Causing Problems on the Road
While reckless driving is the most prominent risky behavior that drivers have learned during the pandemic, there are other groups that could cause problems on the road, like accidents. Speeding and racing are reckless actions to take part in, but other drivers in these groups might not realize they are being risky.
Many states have altered the requirements for teen drivers getting their licenses for the first time. This could lead to risky behavior on their part as first-time drivers without realizing that they’re being reckless. As new drivers, it could help to have less cars on the road, but with other drivers acting more recklessly, this could potentially cause serious accidents.
Adults and the elderly who have refrained from driving during the shutdown could get back behind the wheel and feel less comfortable, which could lead to hesitant driving. Reckless driving is dangerous, but hesitant driving can be just as dangerous because drivers don’t make logical decisions in a timely manner or make decisions that go against what other drivers on the road expect them to do.
Truckers are another group who might be partaking in risky behaviors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With many rest stops closed, as well as restaurants along their routes, they could be having a harder time finding food or places to stop and rest on their hauls. This could lead them to be hungry and tired while driving and cause collisions on the road.
Buckingham & Vega Law Firm Is Here for You
When you’ve been in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you could be having trouble figuring out where to go from here. You could be dealing with serious injuries as well as damages that you need to get treated and fixed. However, these injuries and damages come with price tags that you might have trouble paying.
That’s where we come in. You shouldn’t have to worry about paying for damages that you didn’t cause. At Buckingham & Vega Law Firm in Albuquerque, our personal injury lawyers are here to help you recover what you deserve from your collision. Contact us today so we can discuss how we can help you.