NORFOLK, Va. — You may have already noticed it, but statistics now back it up: the pandemic has changed the way we drive and it has fatal consequences.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the chances that a Virginia driver was going at least 10 mph over the speed limit, over a four-month time period between March and June of 2020, jumped by more than 50%.
This statistic shouldn’t come as a surprise because there were fewer drivers on the road and pandemic stress likely fueled a heavier foot behind the wheel. But brand-new data suggests riskier driving like this never stopped, even when traffic picked up again.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a statement saying, “after the declaration of the public health emergency in March 2020, driving patterns and behaviors in the United States changed significantly.”
According to a nonprofit transportation research group, TRIP, deadly traffic crashes surged 19% from 2019 to 2021.
Deadly crashes involving speed and no seatbelt also jumped 16% and 18%. In 2021, we also saw 42,915 traffic fatalities - the highest number since 2005.
Risky driving has become a safety crisis nationwide, but we may be taking steps to make things safer on the roads.
The recent infrastructure bill approved in November provides a big boost to road improvement funding.
The U.S. Department of Transportation also adopted the National Roadway Safety Strategy, a plan that tackles the issue through education, road design, and improved vehicle technology.
For more information on this new initiative, click here.