
On May 20, 2020, the National Safety Council (NSC), a non-profit organization dedicated to safety advocacy, released a report containing statistics about traffic fatalities across the United States for March 2020. The report states that while Americans are driving less on roads and highways, the rate of fatal accidents per 100 million miles driven in March has increased compared to the previous year. Some reports suggest that the increase in fatalities may be due to motorists speeding and driving recklessly on roads with reduced traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the NSC notes that more research may be required to prove correlations between coronavirus safety measures and increases in roadside fatalities across the United States.
Details of the NSC Report
According to the NSC report, the rate of fatalities increased 14 percent in March compared to the same time the previous year. Specifically, there were 1.22 deaths per 100 million miles driven in March 2020, compared to 1.07 deaths per 100 million miles driven in March 2019. This increase occurred despite an 8 percent reduction of total motorist deaths. This is in part due to an overall 20 percent decrease in miles driven by Americans for the month of March when compared to 2019.
“While the number of fatalities increased on a national level for the first three months of 2020, individual state statistics provide more clarity,” said Attorney Michael McCready of the McCready Law Firm. “Fatal accident rates differ greatly across states. While some areas are seeing double digit increases in fatalities, other states are experiencing decreases of over 30 percent. Illinois had an 11% increase.”
Between January and March of 2020, states such as California, New York, and North Carolina saw significant overall increases in traffic fatalities compared to the previous year. Notably, Connecticut saw a 40 percent increase in the amount of fatalities compared to 2019. Conversely, other parts of the United States saw an overall reduction of fatalities. This includes states such as Arizona, Maryland, and South Carolina.
Causes of Accidents
Some reports are attributing the increased rate of fatal accidents to shelter-in-place and stay-at home orders. As many individuals work from home or quarantine to slow the spread of COVID-19, there may be less traffic on roads and highways across the country. As a result, some police departments are reporting significant increases in traffic violations as more motorists speed or drive recklessly on open roads. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that, between March and April, citations for drivers exceeding 100 miles per hour increased 87% compared to the previous year. Other states, such as Massachusetts, have deployed extra police patrols to help reduce speeding violations.
NSC Tips on Staying Safe on Roads During COVID-19
In their report, the NSC provides several tips to help maintain driver safety and reduce the risk of an accident during the coronavirus pandemic. This includes being aware of increased amounts of pedestrian and bicycle traffic during shelter-in-place orders. The NSC also provides general guidelines, including following traffic laws and taking steps to reduce distracted driving and driving fatigue.