Nearly deserted roads with little traffic have spawned an increase in negligent and reckless driving throughout the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Police officers across nation have clocked drivers traveling in excess of 100 mph far more often than before tee pandemic hit. Regardless of the fact that far fewer vehicles are on the road, nearly 25,000 speeding tickets were issued in New York City in one day after violators were caught on speed cameras. Nationally, the number of crashes has plummeted, but the number of serious crashes has increased. Fatalities have increased too. Most of those are attributed to speeding or negligent driving. Some states have even experienced increases in pedestrian deaths.
Philadelphia is No Exception
The order for Philadelphia residents to stay at home has also resulted in far less traffic in the city, but essential workers are still required to travel the city’s streets. According to mayor Jim Kenny, there were three traffic fatalities in the city in April of this year, but early in this following month of May, there have already been three traffic fatalities.
Four Deaths in Two Days
The first crash occurred at the intersection of Front Street and Hunting Park Avenue when a passenger died after the driver of a car ran a red light. That same night, a motorcyclist was killed when a driver made an illegal U-turn at the intersection of Broad Street and Dauphin. A few hours later, a pedestrian died after being struck by a car at the intersection of Knights and Dundee. A fourth person who was the driver of a tractor-trailer died early the next morning after the teen driver of a stolen car backed into him. Mayor Jim Kenny has committed to cracking down on negligent drivers in the city. A Philadelphia Police Department spokesman advised that special attention will be given to locations where unsafe and reckless driving are known to occur.
Philadelphia has been hit hard by COVID-19, and emergency rooms are nearing capacity. Safe driving can’t be ignored during the pandemic crisis. Perfectly presentable traffic crashes only contribute to excess strain on emergency facilities. Make sure that you’re using your seat belt when must drive somewhere, refrain from distraction and maintain awareness of what other motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are doing. If indeed you are in an accident that was caused by the carelessness and negligence of the driver of another vehicle, or you lost a family member in such a crash, contact us right away, and we’ll arrange for a free consultation and case review. We promise to answer all of your questions and advise you of all of your legal rights.
