Posted on 04/20/2020 12:19:48 AM PDT by L.A.Justice
Coronavirus has cleared US roads. And though there are fewer drivers, more of those who remain on the road are traveling at dangerously high speeds.
State highway officials are reporting a “severe spike in speeding” during the pandemic, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), a nonprofit that represents state highway safety offices.
Emptier streets and highways have resulted in a “significant surge” in reports of drivers reaching speeds of 100 mph or more in major cities and less populated ones, the safety association said.
“Now that the streets are empty, the Fast and Furious wannabes really think they’re living in a video game,” New York councilman Justin Brannan tweeted in reference to New Yorkers speeding.
The uptick in speeding follows a decline in overall traffic during the pandemic. March marked the first time ever that congestion disappeared across American roadways, according to traffic analytics firm INRIX.
But when traffic cleared, drivers sped up. INRIX reported drivers in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles are reaching speeds nearly 75% higher than the speeds typical on a day before the pandemic, though levels of congestion in both cities before the pandemic likely plays a role in the sharp increase.
Law enforcement agencies across the US are reporting drivers speeding over 100 mph during coronavirus shutdowns.
A deputy in Multnomah County, Oregon, cited a driver for going 105 mph in a 55 mph zone — nearly double the speed limit.
CNN affiliate KCRG reported that Iowa State Patrol cited nearly 170 people for driving over 100 mph in the last month.
And in Sandy Springs, Georgia, police caught a motorcyclist hurtling past at 172 mph.
“Our officer couldn’t even attempt to go after it,” Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Salvador Ortega told CNN affiliate WGLC. “He didn’t have a chance.”
Even in highly populous cities where congestion once clogged the streets, speeding has soared. In New York, the epicenter of the outbreak, automated speeding cameras issued 24,765 tickets across the city on March 27, the GHSA reported — double the daily amount of tickets issued a month earlier.
Traffic hasn’t stopped speeders in the past. Data from the National Safety Council show that over 9,300 people died in speeding-related accidents in 2018, the most recent year data is available for.
But that number had been dropping before the pandemic. Just two years earlier in 2016, there had been over 10,200 speeding-related deaths. And in 2006, speeding deaths outnumbered 13,609.
Preliminary data suggests that extreme speeding could mean more vehicular deaths, even with fewer drivers on the road. In Minnesota, deaths from crashes have doubled since the state issued its stay-at-home order last month, from 13 during the same period 2019 then to 28 now, according to the Star Tribune. Half of those deaths were the result of speeding-related crashes.
Speeding is especially gratuitous — and dangerous — during the pandemic because injured drivers may burden the healthcare system, said GHSA executive director Jonathan Adkins.
“Law enforcement officials have the same mission as health care providers — to save lives,” he said in a statement. “Emergency rooms in many areas of the country are at capacity, and the last thing they need is an additional strain from traffic crash victims.”
Do you remember STREET HAWK from 1980s? The series was on ABC...The main character had a nice motorcycle...
Automated speeding cameras? I have seen red-light cameras in California...You see them when you go through Beverly Hills.
I don't know if there is any automated speeding camera in CA...I have driven from LA County to San Francisco Bay Area using 5 Freeway. I don't think I have ever seen the sign for automated speeding camera. I have seen the sign which warned that aircraft will be checking speed...
Wow, 100 mph you say, that’s a bit faster than normal overtaking speed on the I-15 in Utah.
Gonna be a sharp uptick in CV-related deaths on the highways now!!!
I grew up in New Mexico in the 60s. Can confirm. At 120 mph you get places fast.
Driving in San Antonio is worse than ever for idiots Ed hi think they own the road doing 10 + passing me on tge right, running me down following at inches. Sick. Sick.
I haven’t come up with an excuse to use once you’re thrown in jail, so you’re on your own at that point.
You get a blowout at 100mph it’s the end of the road for you.
I got a ticket in the '80s for going 90+ between stoplights in one block. I took it to court and convinced the judge there was a problem with the radar because there was no way you could possibly go that fast in less than a city block. They may be a bit wiser now.
Sadly, at this time I have nothing ready to take advantage of the situation.
In Nevada this would not have even been noticed prior to the double nickel era and Fed. blackmail curtailing our freedom.
So this Kung Flu is not the first time a “Crises” has been used to clamp down on our freedoms PERMANENTLY.
I want our unlimited* road speeds back, travel between towns just takes too long now.
*Used to be limited to “As fast as conditions safely permit”, on a clear day with light traffic that could be flat-out.
100+ on a Moto Guzzi Sport outside Austin—Lake Travis.
a hundred is nothing these days.
Can’t do that here on The Garden State Parkway or The New Jersey Turnpike. Troopers will shut you down real quick.
If you react stupidly, thinking you have to violently turn the steering wheel or brake hard for some reason.
I have had blowouts at 80+ MPH on a front and rear tires of a motorhome and barely noticed it.
At 65 MPH on an outside corner in a 404 Unimog and in a step van. Very easy to handle, if you gently steer to where you want to go. I've seen rally cars having blowouts at well over 100 MPH with no problem.
People get excited and think they have to twitch the wheel or something.
I know how to handle blowouts but some people don’t. I’ve seen these speeders lately and they’re weaving in and around slower traffic. Hopefully they know how to handle it. It ain’t good for your wheel rim to say the least.
I want our unlimited* road speeds back, travel between towns just takes too long now.
Ditto! I have gone all the way across Nevada at 145 MPH.
Our slow speed limits cause accidents.
People become bored and complacent and have accidents.
When you are cruising well over 100 MPH, you are paying strict attention.
Most of our freeways were built for it.
I had a rear tire blow out on a Honda 450 at 65 mph. It was pretty exciting but I did manage to get over to the shoulder. But at 120 mph you really aren’t “on the road” so much as skipping from high spot to high spot. I had a Z1 back when no one knew what they were. I had a friend who also had a Z1. One time for kicks we drove to the Texas State Line to “see which one was fastest”. We got to the State Line right away. Our friends on a Honda and a Harley joined us at the Bar later, we had finished our first beer.
Can confirm. 135 mph is not boring.
I prefer 1/4 mile or so spacing when possible.
That way if I screw up or someone else does, there is time to recover and not create havoc.
If folks are passing you on the right, you are probably in the wrong place unless you have a left exit.
Always drive in the right lane unless passing.
When I am in a slow mood or in a slow vehicle, I always stay right.
This is stupid and dangerous.
On the other hand, why is the "slower traffic" not keeping to the right to let others by?
These are the people who should be arrested and given a steep fine for impeding the flow of traffic.
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