Eerie photos that show the formerly bustling New York City’s popular sites such as Times Square and Wall Street with hardly a soul in sight have been circulating the internet this Spring of 2020 as the city has enforced lockdowns due to COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus. Even smaller cities, like those on the Treasure Coast of Florida, have been transformed from previously busy highways, town roads, and downtown areas into ghost towns without hardly any cars on the road. These lockdowns, government mandated forms of social distancing, and a general fear of catching coronavirus, are the main reasons why people aren’t traveling America’s roadways as much. However, despite the drop in traffic from motor vehicles, the overall stir-crazy that has resulted from these quarantines has pushed people to get out of their house any way they can. This has led to a steep increase in pedestrians and bicyclists.
Coronavirus Leading to Less Auto Accidents, but Possibly more Traumatic Crashes
Traffic accidents have decreased tremendously since the coronavirus outbreak due to the near complete shutdown of cities, according to news sources Quartz. The Washington Post recently reported that the usual rush hour traffic congestion has nearly disappeared in many cities since the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. This decrease is most likely due to the fact that many people are either currently unemployed, working from home, or working less. The website Drive-Safely.net states that at least 25% of car crashes occur during rush hour, so one could argue that the decreased rush hour traffic would correlate to less car accidents. And although it seems obvious that less cars on the road would lead to safer roadways, this is not necessarily the case for everyone.
For example, since the coronavirus outbreak, London officers have issued several traffic citations as drivers are abhorrently speeding on the unusually empty roadways, such as going 134mph in a 40mph zone. Similarly, there is evidence to suggest that less crowded roadways could be more dangerous than busier roads, as people on quieter road may be more likely to let down their guard and not pay as much attention to their surroundings. The website ePermitTest informs people about the dangers of rural roads, stating that although there may not be as many crashes on these rural roadways, the crashes that do happen on these quieter roads have a higher fatality rate. There are certainly at least some similarities between rural roadways and today’s coronavirus-affected roadways, such as the less congested roadways leading to a false sense of security and the increased likelihood of people speeding.
If you or a loved one have been involved in an auto accident during this hectic time, please contact us today at the Eberst Law Firm. We are open during our normal hours, and are ready to fight for you so that you can focus on the things that matter, like healing and staying safe.
Bike Injuries are Increasing Due to Coronavirus
The New York Post recently published an article stating that injuries to New York cyclists have nearly doubled between March 9 and March 15, 2020 when compared to injuries to New York cyclists in 2019 within the same time frame. This is largely due to an enormous spike in bike riders on New York’s roads as the citizens there have been advised to avoid mass transit such as subway and trains, which the city is largely dependent on. Interestingly, this article also mentions that the total auto accident collisions have decreased by nearly a third in New York.
Although New York is significantly different than Stuart, Florida and the surrounding areas, it is still certainly worth keeping an eye on their trends, as New York is being referred to as the American epicenter of the coronavirus. For this reason, it is important to stay up to date regarding New York’s happenings, as they could certainly shine some light on trends that could be in store for us in Florida.
Even beyond that, I and others I have spoken with recently have noticed that there are more bicyclists than normal on our Treasure Coast sidewalks and roads, meaning that the trend of more bicyclists being present on our roadways and inevitably, more bicyclist injuries, is likely already occurring in our community. It isn’t difficult to see why higher than average numbers of people are taking their bicycles out for a ride on our roadways, since malls, beaches, boat ramps, gyms, and other places are all shut down. Aside from that, the gorgeous south Florida springtime weather is beckoning people to get out of their homes and into the outdoors to take advantage of the beautiful weather.
At The Eberst Law Firm, we want you to feel safe as you ride your bicycle outdoors during this unprecedented time of quarantine. Please read our articles, “Common Bicycle Accident Injuries and How They Occur”, “Tips to Avoid Florida Bicycle Accidents and Stay Safe”, and “What Do I Do After a Bicycle Accident Injury?” to learn about injuries that can be sustained from bicycle accidents, tips that can help you avoid these bicycle accidents in the first place, and what to do if you are unfortunately involved in a bicycle accident.
Will Coronavirus Lead to Higher Pedestrian Accidents?
So far, less information seems to be available regarding the coronavirus’ impact on pedestrian accidents, but it does seem like more people are venturing outdoors on foot than before due to the coronavirus outbreak. In Florida, we unfortunately have one of the highest rates of pedestrian death in the country, so this is an area where we need to pay especially close attention.
At The Eberst Law Firm we have handled hundreds of pedestrian accident claims. Please contact us as soon as possible if you or a loved one has been involved in a pedestrian accident so that we can begin our investigation and fight aggressively to recover for you what you have lost from this traumatic accident.
Contact an Experienced and Available Injury Attorney
As businesses all over Florida and the country are closing or experiencing unprecedented layoffs, we assure you that we at The Eberst Law Firm are operating just as we were before the coronavirus outbreak. We are fully staffed, available 24/7, and prepared to fight for you and your auto accident, bicycle accident, or pedestrian accident claim during this chaotic time. Let us to handle your claim so that you can focus on feeling better during a time that is already stressful enough. Call us today for a free consultation at 772-225-4900 or contact us online.
Sources for “Car Accidents Decreasing, but Biking Accidents Increasing due to Coronavirus”
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-pictures-of-new-york-city-empty-streets-2020-3
https://qz.com/1822492/traffic-accidents-are-plummeting-because-of-the-pandemic/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2020/03/18/coronavirus-precautions-take-hold-many-cities-see-heavy-rush-hour-traffic-congestion-vanish/
https://nypost.com/2020/03/19/bike-injuries-up-car-crashes-down-during-coronavirus-crisis/
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/24/820610818/new-york-city-u-s-epicenter-braces-for-peak
https://eberstlaw.com/2019/05/25/common-bicycle-accident-injuries-and-how-they-occur/
https://eberstlaw.com/2019/08/01/safety-tips-bicycle-accidents/
https://eberstlaw.com/2019/12/17/after-bicycle-accident-injury/
https://www.driving.co.uk/news/coronavirus-dangerous-drivers-using-emptier-roads-excuse-speed/
https://www.epermittest.com/drivers-education/dangers-rural-roads
https://eberstlaw.com/2019/11/12/florida-has-one-of-the-highest-rates-of-pedestrian-death/
https://eberstlaw.com/pedestrian-accidents/
https://www.drive-safely.net/safe-driving-rush-hour/
