With the coronavirus continuing to ravage the world, many highways and public roads have been rendered empty as people try to minimize unnecessary movement and stay indoors. Surprisingly, this has led to a sharp rise in the number of traffic offenses as motorists choose to disregard safety laws that are designed to keep people safe on the roads.
According to a recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA), there has been an increase in cases of speeding on open highways since drivers are flaunting safety rules and reaching speeds as high as 100 mph.
Unfortunately, cases of speeding have been reported in many states across the country despite appeals by the GHSA for drivers to abide by the safety laws and regulations, especially during the extraordinary times that we are living in today. While law enforcement officers have been working overtime along with health workers to keep people safe, their work is admittedly made more difficult by drivers who throw caution to the wind and drive recklessly on public roads and highways. For this reason, the association is imploring road users to be vigilant and adhere to all safety laws in order to avoid adding strain on hospital emergency rooms which are already overwhelmed with patients.
The study by the GHSA also revealed that there has been a spike in the number of cyclists and pedestrians on the roads. However, this has not done much to minimize cases of road accidents, which is why drivers are being advised to stay alert when behind the wheel.
Most of the reported accidents have been directly linked to speeding. This perhaps explains why there has been an increase in the number of speeding tickets issued in the past couple of weeks. Surprisingly, some states have recorded a reduction in the number of motor vehicle accidents. However, the few accidents that have occurred were severe – and in most cases fatal – as a result of reckless driving and speeding.
A report released back in 2019 found that a third of the recorded car accidents were related to speeding. In contrast, the current report has revealed that over 17% of all traffic-related accidents are linked to pedestrians. These recently released statistics undoubtedly paint a very grim picture of the state of our roads today. Ordinarily, one would expect that with fewer motorists on the roads, traffic-related accidents would reduce drastically. However, these reports prove that drivers and pedestrians alike are not acting responsibly on the roads.
Whether you are a pedestrian or driver, therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are safe on the roads at all times. If you need to drive around for errands or work during this time, make sure you observe all road safety laws and regulations and be on the lookout for other motorists and pedestrians.
In case you get involved in a collision and require the services of a car accident attorney, get in touch with us today and we will be happy to help. Remember to stay safe as we all continue to fight this deadly virus that our country is grappling with.