Skilled Litigators Advocating For Clients in Louisiana

Media reports uptick in reckless driving

On Behalf of | May 4, 2020 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Folks are supposed to be sheltering in place, but essential personnel are still going to work, and others still need to shop for food and other necessities. Regardless of whether one drives or walks to do these errands, they likely have a story about a driver driving too fast or recklessly.

Traffic levels are down as much as 50% from a year ago at this time. Nevertheless, several national media outlets report a rise in median speed on the road and outright reckless behavior on surface roads as well as the interstate highways. This includes the Wall Street Journal, which pointed out that there is a jump in traffic-related fatality rates despite the lower traffic numbers in the state.  A WAFB-9 report on this concurs, pointing out that the overall numbers were the same as this time in 2019, with half the amount of traffic on the roads.

Fewer drivers mean faster driving

Law enforcement has seen the uptick in speeding during the stay-at-home order. This is tied to the fact that drivers are not used to the roads being empty, even during times when there is traditionally heavy traffic. This has also opened the roads for extremely reckless behavior with a driver in Michigan recently pulled over for 180 mph on I-75 as well as a rash of other triple-digit speeders.

Coronavirus is not an excuse

Hopefully, drivers will slow down as the roads start to fill up again. However, reckless driving can cause property damage, injury and even death in extreme cases. Those with questions about an injury that took place during this time can still consult with an attorney. These legal professionals may be able to hold the negligent party accountable for the loss of life, injury, property damage as well as the pain and suffering caused by reckless driving.

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