Throughout 2020, countries worldwide enacted multiple lockdowns, closing schools, offices, restaurants, stadiums, and more. With unprecedented numbers of people working and attending school from home, traffic volume experienced one of the largest downturns in history.
Fewer vehicles on the road would naturally suggest a decrease in traffic accidents. However, recently released research suggests the opposite occurred. As the lockdowns continued, traffic accidents and related deaths increased, painting a complicated picture of driver behavior.
Early Lockdowns Began a Promising Trend Towards Safe Driving
Starting around March 2020, initial lockdowns resulted in a dramatic drop in traffic. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), total traffic volume decreased by 16 percent during the first half of the year.
Similar effects occurred worldwide. In France, the number of car accidents during the first three weeks of the pandemic dropped by 80 percent. Additionally, accident-related deaths fell from 250 in 2019 to 130 in 2020 during the same period. The overall decrease was so significant that Maif, the country’s largest insurer, refunded over $117 million to 2.8 million customers.
A Trend Reversal Results in Increased Accidents and Fatalities
Unfortunately, the initial decrease in traffic fatalities was only temporary. Three factors led to a reversal of the promising trends from earlier in the year:
- A lack of a decrease in accidents for commercial and heavy-duty trucking
- An increase in cyclist-related accidents
- An increase in speeding and other risky behavior behind the wheel
Each factor relates to the pandemic in a specific way.
Commercial and Heavy-Duty Trucking
Responsible for delivering a vast array of consumer goods, commercial truck drivers were classified as essential workers, and they continued to work during the height of the pandemic. As the number of people confined to their homes increased, so did the amount of online ordering, increasing the demand for commercial trucking services. Unfortunately, accidents and fatalities related to commercial trucking saw no significant decrease during the pandemic.
Additionally, a new type of commercial driving saw an increase in activity during 2020. Delivery drivers, such as DoorDash and UberEats, experienced a boom in business. Many of these drivers were new and inexperienced, turning to delivery work after a pandemic-related job loss.
Essentially, many of the drivers on the road during the bulk of the lockdowns were working, which is why incidents of accidents and fatalities among this group remained relatively unchanged.
Cyclist-Related Accidents
The initial lockdowns also saw a spike in accidents and injuries involving bicyclists. Specifically, many of these cyclists were injured after not following standard safety practices. They failed to properly signal when changing lanes, wear helmets, or create enough space between themselves and vehicles on the road.
During lockdown, many people picked up bicycling as a new hobby. While the total number of bicyclists on the road contributed to the increase in related accidents, the inexperience of many of these cyclists also played a prominent role.
Reckless Behaviors on the Road
Finally, accidents increased due to driver behavior. For example, excessive speeding in France increased by 15 percent, a rate similar to the increases found throughout the world. Additionally, an NHTSA study found an increased rate of alcohol and drug use among drivers involved in fatal crashes during the pandemic compared to corresponding times in years before. Reversing a three-year downward trend, fatalities on the road increased by 30 percent in the second quarter of 2020.
“In a normal economic downturn, we expect to see a decrease in both traffic and related fatalities, but that wasn’t the case in 2020,” said Attorney Jason Schneider. “Instead, research suggests increased stress, as well as a general increase in drug and alcohol consumption, lead to riskier behaviors among drivers.”
Final Thoughts
As lockdowns continue to lift and traffic activity increases, overall safety remains a concern. Will negligent driving habits developed during the pandemic continue, or will the increased number of cars act as a natural curb towards dangerous behavior? Law enforcement and public safety experts will continue to monitor driver activity with interest. While the deadliest days of the pandemic recede, its influence on traffic might continue to be felt for some time.
