Has the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of car accident fatalities?

Vehicle deaths in the US, which has declined since 2016, are set to increase this year despite a slowdown in overall mobility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The surprising agency data recently released could provide more context for understanding how much the coronavirus pandemic has impacted daily life.

The number of motor vehicle drivers appears to have decreased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. A June 2020 Consumer survey Research firm McKinsey & Company states that around 60% of US respondents said they had traveled less during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While it may be reasonable to believe that fewer cars on the road would lead to fewer road deaths, recent data points to deaths from car accidents in a different direction. In fact, quarantines and lockdowns didn’t seem to affect the volume of deaths in car accidents.

Preliminary data released by the National Security Council shows a remarkable increase in vehicle deaths in 2020, despite the reduced driving caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown.

How many road fatalities occurred despite the pandemic shutdowns?

According to the NSC mark, 2020 is going to be a lot more deadly for car accidents than last year. The monthly mileage mortality rate According to NSC, the death toll in July 2020 rose 26.1% from July 2019 as it increased despite the decrease in kilometers traveled. For every 100 million vehicle miles driven, the death rate was 1.50 in July 2020, compared to 1.19 in 2019, according to the nonprofit.

“Due to the effects of COVID-19, the number of kilometers driven in the first seven months of 2020 decreased by 15.7% compared to 2019,” reported the NSC. “The number of kilometers driven in July 2020 is 11.2% lower than in July 2019.” However, the nonprofit’s research department reports deaths to date totaling 22,100 in 2020, an increase of 2% over the first seven Months of 2019.

In July 2020 in particular, 3,930 motor vehicles died, an 11% increase from July 2019.

During the first five months of 2020The states with the highest rates of fatal car accidents included New Hampshire, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Louisiana. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, and Michigan were among the safest roads and had the lowest number of deaths.

Without this recent surge in deaths, the US could have improved road safety for nearly four years. The death rate from car accidents had declined since 2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, when nearly 38,000 people died. Early estimates from NHTSA show that 36,120 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2019, a 1.2% decrease from 2018 when 36,560 deaths were recorded. NHTSA hasn’t released any 2019 car accident injury figures, but it does Figures for 2018 show Almost 1.9 million car accidents with personal injury. NHTSA announced that it would publish its final 2019 figures and estimates for the first quarter of 2020 on road accidents in the spring.

Mobility will recover in the future. According to McKinsey, more cars are expected to take to the streets following the coronavirus pandemic in the US and around the world. Half of those surveyed said they are likely to use private vehicles more as a means of intercity travel, displacing public transport, air travel and railways. A major reason for this consumer-led preference is the element of social distancing that private cars offer. Social distancing and the wearing of masks were valuable strategies to avoid infection during the post-lockdown COVID-19 outbreak.

McKinsey’s study highlights another key variable in thinking about the future of road safety after COVID-19: the increasing popularity of autonomous vehicles. About a third of consumers polled by McKinsey said they value autonomous driving more today than they did before the coronavirus pandemic broke out.

Car crashes a prime concern as employees go to work after the pandemic

With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing consumers to private vehicles and local expiring orders leading to congested roads, car accidents are an issue for the US when the country comes back into service.

In anticipation of staff return to work after the coronavirus lockdown, the NSC issued one in July Return to work guidance for employers with recommendations on how to deal with transportation options and road safety. Car accidents are the leading cause of death in the workplace, said NSC CEO Lorraine M. Martin in a statement accompanying the guide.

Recommendations include incentives for employees looking to explore new modes of transport. Providing additional services such as dedicated parking, shuttle services, and flexible working from home policies; Recognizing that employees may return to work in an “unusual state of stress or fatigue” and that they have “fallen out of the practice of operating their vehicles due to on-site protection instructions”.

If you are injured as a result of a car accident, contact a personal injury attorney at Rothenberg LLP law firm about your options as you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries.