When the state of Connecticut was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, there was an expectation that there would be significantly less traffic on our roads. There was, however, an unexpected impact according to a recent study conducted by the Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center (IPC).
In a recently published study done by the IPC the expected evidence of lower traffic volume on Connecticut roads existed with total miles traveled down about 40% over the same time in 2019, 2018, and 2017. The study also found that the overall number of crashes and average daily crash rate was lower over the same time period.
The unexpected result that was reported by the study was that single vehicle crashes more than doubled in that time frame. Worse yet, the number of single vehicle fatalities quadrupled during the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
What was the reason for the discrepancies in the data? You might expect that with lower traffic volume there would be fewer single vehicle accidents and deaths. Researchers looked at media reports and found that the average speed at which vehicles were traveling had increased an alarming amount during this time which would clearly indicate the cause and effect result. Also, police patrols had diminished significantly over the time of the stay-at-home orders.
Study after study has indicated on all roads that vehicles traveling at a speed higher than the posted speed limit are often subjects of higher levels of crashes and are those drivers experience a higher fatality rate than those who obey the speed limit.
If you or a loved one were in a Connecticut auto accident and need an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer to review your case, contact our office immediately.
