Michigan Car Accident Fatalities Increase Regardless of Decreased Traffic

Traffic decreased monumentally in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic that caused global panic. During a two-week quarantine and lockdown, civilians were only allowed to leave if they were an essential worker or needed to get essential supplies such as food and water. The government encouraged people to stay home unless it was absolutely necessary. People canceled vacations, stopped traveling to visit family, and started working from home. The assumption is that with less travel, the number of accidents would also decrease. So, why did crashes increase in 2020 in Michigan in spite of less road travel? 

There was eighteen percent less traffic on Michigan road in 2020, yet the number of crashes increased by about seven percent. The answer to why this number increased was because with less traffic- there was more speeding. Daily traffic is down nineteen percent in comparison to 2019, but during the initial shutdown because of the pandemic, year-to-date average daily traffic was down to sixty percent. Speeding causes a very large number of accidents. People felt that less traffic meant less road responsibility, meaning they drove more recklessly. If you are in a car accident, know that you are entitled to a car accident lawyer and a lawyer at Elie & Ponto is prepared to help you today.

Michigan police officers have stated that they have been busy this year due to reckless driving and speeding. Limiting travel to essential travel only did not stop people from driving dangerously. The number of citations has doubled this year. Just because there was a pandemic does not mean police officers were not scanning the public to protect citizens from accidents and dangerous driving. 

Most people’s lives have changed in some sort of way due to the coronavirus pandemic. The number of accidents increasing is definitely a surprising side effect of the pandemic. Drivers should avoid the need for speed despite emptier roads and easier traveling. Although easier travel due to less traffic does not mean that laws still should not be followed. It does not mean everyone will listen to this advice.  If you are driving and a reckless driver crashes into you, you are entitled to compensation. In order to receive compensation, there are three requirements. One of the requirements is that the person looking to be compensated cannot be at fault. If you are hit by a reckless driver and did not do anything wrong. You qualify for this requirement. 

Next, there must be an injury to receive compensation for the victim’s pain and suffering. This will require proof of injury from a medical professional. Proof of this can include diagnostic tests such as an X-Ray. The third requirement is that the injured person’s life must have been drastically affected by this accident. Meaning that they had to change their own lifestyle due to this accident. Michigan Car Accident Fatalities Increase Regardless of Decreased Traffic, but If you have been affected by the increased accidents as an aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, contact a car accident lawyer at Elia & Ponto promptly. 

Car accident lawyers at Elia & Ponto are willing to evaluate if clients have a sufficient case upon getting in car accidents for free. There is no risk to getting a free case evaluation. With an increase in car accidents across the state of Michigan, it is important to know that there are lawyers willing to help your case immediately.  

Drunk driving can also be a contributing factor as many people being isolated from themselves can lead to an increase in alcohol consumption. It was said that alcohol sales skyrocketed during the pandemic because people were depending on alcohol to keep themselves busy. This could lead to people drinking and driving. Drinking and driving is another huge cause of accidents besides speeding. If you get in an accident that involves alcohol, you may need a drunk driving accident lawyer. 

If you are ever involved in a car accident, you more than likely should contact a good lawyer that wants to dedicate their time to help you. At Elia and Ponto, the lawyers genuinely want to help clients regardless if they are at fault. Contacting a lawyer, and having a good team on your side can drastically help your circumstances.