(Newswire.net — September 24, 2020) —
Since the lockdown related to COVID-19, roads around the world are emptier. This does not mean, however, that they are safer. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Crashes in Ireland have dramatically increased since the pandemic has begun, and with them have come an increase in deaths. This is due to a variety of reasons, including driving under the influence and high speeds. While Ireland is experiencing its own uptick, it isn’t the only country to be watching this increase.
Lockdown Effect
In places where there has been a lockdown, traffic has gone but collisions have risen. New York City saw the ratio of fatal crashes increasing by 167 percent compared to a year ago. While that may seem like a lot, the increase was 292 in Chicago. In Europe there are even worse cases, with Madrid seeing their rate of fatal crashes going up by a stunning 470 percent. While Ireland is also struggling with these increases, it isn’t the worst off.
Irish Crashes and Deaths
The deaths on Irish roads are about 10 percent higher this year than they were in 2019, despite the three month COVID-19 lockdown. Furthermore, if the 70 percent reduction in national traffic volumes between the months of March and June are included, the country is going through a 20 percent increase in traffic fatalities over the last year.
Despite the fact that many families are choosing to stay home for their vacations, 88 people have died on the roads in Ireland this year alone. Of these people who have passed, 34 were drivers and 18 were passengers. In addition, 18 were passengers, 11 were motorcyclists, and four were bicyclists.
Due to these rates, the Road Safety Authority has expressed a concern over the number of pedestrians, pedal cyclists, and motorcycle drivers that have been killed in collisions. RSA statistics revealed there has been a significant increase of almost 15 percent in the total number of serious crashes compared to last year. Between 2018 and 2019, when there was a four percent increase. This is very low. In fact 2018 ranked as the safest year on Irish roads since the country began keeping records in the 1950s.
Causes of Deaths
According to a law firm of personal injury solicitors, there is not one reason for the increase in fatal crashes but many. While driving under the influence is one reason that crashes have gone up, it is also due to people driving too fast and the fact that there are more pedestrians on the roads.
The Assistant Commissioner of the Road Safety Authority, Paula Hilman, has said that it is obvious that in some cases motorists had blatantly ignored the rules of the road with respect to speed and the use of drinking and drugs. Hilman has cited specific examples of arrests that occurred since the lockdown of drivers that were under the influence.
Similarly, there have been many arrests for people driving high above the speed limit. For example, people have been caught driving over 200 km per hour on a 50 km road. Speed is a factor in up to one-third of road fatalities. When the roads are quieter, people are emboldened to drive faster. That’s why Ireland’s road death tally has not fallen. The government is urging pedestrians and cyclists to be careful using the roads.
Mitigating Fatal Accidents
Just because the roads are empty doesn’t mean that we all get to drive as fast as we want or get behind the wheel after one too many pints. It is imperative to spread this information that the roads have not and will not be safer when they are emptier. While people are being urged to behave and do the right thing, there always seems to be an element of punitive measures. Since there are less people on the road, drivers are less worried that they will be caught speeding and driving under the influence. It is integral now more than ever to think beyond yourself and do what’s right not just for you, but for your fellow man.