The Philadelphia Police Department is sending out a warning to all motorists in the city. 2020 is an especially dangerous and deadly year for drivers, and the year isn’t even over yet.
Alarming 2020 Fatal Accident Numbers for Philadelphia
WPVI-TV reports that through the first week of October, 112 people have been killed in vehicle accidents in Philadelphia over 2020. That’s a shocking number when you consider that in all of 2019, Philadelphia County saw a total of 91 lives lost.
What’s more alarming is the tragic 112 deaths this year are already more than every year’s total going back to 2015. That’s according to PennDOT statistics from the past five years. The mysterious part of it all is that 2020 is a year of parked cars and working from home during the pandemic, leading to fewer cars on the road.
Pandemic Reduction in Traffic Still Leads to Increased Death Rates
With pandemic restrictions and stay-at-home orders, Philadelphia traffic levels have been greatly reduced for much of the year, but somehow the fatality rates resulting from serious accidents have seen a frightening jump.
WPVI-TV talked to Captain Mark Overwise from the Philadelphia Police Accident Investigation Division about the apparent contradiction of fewer drivers on the road, but more fatal outcomes. Overwise explained, “Less vehicles on the road, people driving faster, people taking more chances because there’s less vehicles on the road.”
2020 Philadelphia Hit-And-Run Cases On the Rise
To make things worse, Police investigators say the traffic deaths have come with a spike in hit-and-run cases.
According to WPVI-TV, so far in 2020 hit-and-run drivers in Philadelphia have been involved in 21% of fatal collisions. That number was 14% over the same span in 2019.
A significant number of those hit-and-run cases are unsolved and they continue to create a backlog of cases, slowing down investigations into other accidents.
Pedestrian Dangers In Philadelphia in 2020
Drivers speeding and making more reckless decisions this year does not mean good news for those who travel the city by foot every day.
In just the first quarter of 2020, the Bicycle Coalition found that Philadelphia had already suffered 88% more pedestrian deaths than in the first quarter of 2019. Pedestrian deaths accounted for half of all 2020 traffic fatalities at that point.
The dangers of walking around our city were the focus of a comprehensive study and survey by The Pearce Law Firm of Philadelphia. In a poll of Philadelphia pedestrians, respondents pointed to construction projects and closed sidewalks as the biggest threat to those on foot, with distracted drivers not far behind.
The study also highlights some of the most dangerous stretches for motorists and pedestrians around the city. Roosevelt Avenue and Broad Street ranked high on the list when the accident numbers for those routes were added up and compared to other city streets.
Caution and Care from Philadelphia Motorists in 2020
If fewer cars on the roads still led to a dangerously high number of fatal accidents, the fear is the remaining months of the year might push even further into tragic territory. More and more people are starting to commute to work again or returning to school and that could mean increased hazards in an already devastating year for traffic collisions.
Extra caution for other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists using the road is definitely needed to make sure 2020 ends on a more positive note for Philadelphia travelers. Slowing down and double-checking mirrors and blindspots can help. Every crash avoided and every life saved is a step in the right direction.
Contact A Philadelphia Accident Attorney
If you were injured by a careless driver or if you lost a loved one in an accident please talk with an attorney at The Pearce Law Firm. After a tragic accident, victims and their families should not face the physical and financial hardships that follow alone. The driver to blame and his or her insurance company should be responsible for all of your bills and other damages. If your collision involved a hit-and-run, we can still help you earn compensation even if the driver is never found.
After any accident, contact a highly rated Philadelphia Auto Accident Lawyer such as Edith Pearce. Unlike the huge firms with dozens of attorneys on one case, Edith Pearce is personally involved in every case that we handle. She genuinely cares about her clients and you will not be treated like just another case or file.
