While driving has decreased, traffic safety has not improved

On Behalf of | Jun 4, 2020 | Car Accidents

As most people in Colorado know, people have had reasons to travel less especially since March of this year.

Naturally, this means people have been driving fewer miles on the road, and this in turn has meant fewer traffic accidents and fewer traffic fatalities. In fact, comparing March 2020 to March 2019, the number of traffic-related deaths dropped by 8%.

Unfortunately, the number of miles people drove during March 2020 dropped 18% when compared to the same time in 2019, meaning the number of deaths dropped much less dramatically than did the amount of driving people were doing.

In fact, between March 2019 and March 2020, the rate of fatalities on the road increased a substantial 14% mile-per-mile.

Experts were not able to attribute the spike in the fatality rate. They did say that for some reason, motorists were driving more carelessly over the recent months. The problem is such that in some areas outside of Colorado, the actual number of fatal accidents increased even though many motorists were traveling less or not at all.

Having fewer people traveling over the last few months may lull Colorado drivers into a false sense of security on the road.

In fact, though, now more than ever, drivers need to pay careful attention while operating their vehicles, drive at a reasonable speed and follow traffic laws.

If they do not do so, then there is a real possibility that their carelessness could causes a serious or even fatal car accident involving another motor vehicle, a pedestrian or a bicyclist.

Attorney Chadwick P. McGrady at his desk