Fewer Cars on the Road Means an Increase in High Speed Accidents
With restrictions due to the pandemic, it’s no surprise the amount of traffic on the road has dramatically decreased this year. You may often see much emptier roads than usual, even during typical rush hour times because more people are working from home and not heading out as much. While this can offer a more relaxing ride when you do need to go out, fewer cars on the road often means an increase in high-speed accidents. With less traffic, people are more likely to drive faster, sometimes without even realizing it, increasing the risk of collisions on the road.
Dangerous Speeds Are Increasing
It’s estimated traffic has reduced about 45 percent from what it was back in March, leaving open roads in many areas, even major metropolitan areas. Rather than traveling the set speed limit, more people are exceeding those limits and driving upwards of 100 miles per hour, even in cities where the average speed limit is lower than the open highway out in the countryside. Some motorcyclists have even been stopped going over 170 miles per hour, which can have disastrous results if an accident occurs. Changing lanes and making turns at these speeds can be extremely dangerous for everyone involved. When these high-speed crashes occur, it has devastating effects on not only the vehicle, but those who are inside it. Even though officers are issuing more tickets than ever for individuals who are driving 100 miles per hour or higher, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
How to Prevent High-Speed Accidents
While slowing down is the obvious answer, there are a few other steps you can take to ensure you aren’t one of those people who finds they have vastly exceeded the speed limit, increasing the risk of a high-speed accident. First and foremost, plan your route ahead of time and make sure you leave early enough to ensure you don’t find yourself feeling rushed, which is one of the biggest contributors to speeding issues. It’s also essential to pay close attention to your speedometer. Strive to keep your speeds at or below the speed limit, rather than ignoring your speedometer and just going with the flow. You can also now download speeding apps to help keep you in check as you drive. These apps, such as the Waze app, alert you when you exceed the speed limit, giving you an audio indication you need to slow down.
Nothing is worth getting into a serious accident, even arriving to your destination late. Even though there’s less traffic to contend with, there’s no reason to vastly exceed the speed limit in the name of reaching your destination more quickly. Stay safe on the road!
