According to a study done by the National Safety Council, although the overall number of car accidents in New York went down during the coronavirus quarantine, the overall fatality rate went up 14% compared to the same time last year. There were fewer accidents because people were quarantining and remaining off the road, but more people were speeding, resulting in a higher percentage of fatal accidents. With New York now in the process of reopening, it remains to be seen whether the fatality rate will also return to normal.
The motor vehicle fatality rate refers to the number of people killed in motor vehicle accidents, relative to the number of people driving on the road. When the motor vehicle fatality rate increases, it indicates that motor vehicle accidents are more deadly, even if there are fewer accidents overall. Thus, while there were fewer total deaths during the coronavirus quarantine compared to the same period, it was still high compared to the number of people driving.
The increased fatality rate is blamed on several factors, foremost among them an increase in speeding. New York City, for example, saw a massive increase in speeding tickets during the coronavirus quarantine, a fact that is blamed on emptier roads allowing people to travel faster than they normally would. Another potential factor is an increase in driving from tired or distracted drivers, due to people dealing with the unusual stress caused by the coronavirus crisis.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you should seek out the ato accident lawyers at Zlotolow & Associates. Our seasoned New York personal injury attorneys bring more than two decades of trial experience to your case. We serve all five boroughs of New York City, as well as Nassau and Suffolk County. We have helped thousands of clients recover through settlements and courtroom verdicts. To schedule a consultation, you can call our Melville Office at (631) 564-0055, or our Sayville office at (718) 255-8400, or you can visit our contact page.
