Why were there fewer fender-benders but more road deaths during lockdown?
It’s one of the great mysteries of the pandemic, but experts think they’ve got the answers, with implications for traffic control
03 April 2022 - 17:29
During the first wave of the Covid pandemic, something disturbing occurred on the empty roads of Virginia in the US. Estimates made in mid-2020 found 45% fewer collisions had occurred in the preceding year, compared with the pre-Covid year ending in mid-2019. Yet more drivers had died in crashes. Bizarrely, fatal crashes involving extreme speeding and non-use of seat belts had increased by 78%. The roads had become less congested but also deadlier...
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