While there have been many theories for the disturbing rise in auto accident wrongful deaths across the country, one under examined factor is now under the scanner. Experts believe that a drop in police enforcement since just before the pandemic is possibly partly responsible for a spike in car accident deaths.
Car accident deaths in 2022 were as much as 18% higher than the numbers in 2019. They have continued to increase, spiking even during the pandemic when vehicular traffic volumes were at all time lows. During a time when American roads should have been safest, they were actually even more dangerous than before the pandemic with normal traffic volumes. This phenomenon was also uniquely American. Most Western countries did not report increases in car accident deaths during the pandemic. Many, in fact, actually saw a drop in car accident rates as a result of lockdowns and lower traffic volumes.
There have been a number of theories that have been espoused as reasons for the increase in car accident deaths in the United States. From an increase in speeding to larger volumes of distracted drivers, experts believe that a combination of factors has led to a spike in the number of people being killed in car accidents. However, one particular factor has not received a lot of attention and NPR recently addressed this. The report by NPR says that a drop in police enforcement across the country is at least partly responsible for the spike in car accident deaths.
The pandemic saw a drop in police enforcement and that resulted in a significant increase in the number of distracted drivers, intoxicated drivers and speeding motorists. These lower enforcement levels had been seen even before the pandemic. After the George Floyd protests rocked the country, many police departments began cutting down on staff, and traffic details saw some of some of the biggest cuts. That has translated to fewer numbers of police officers pulling speeding or drunk motorists over and writing tickets. Most officers now feel like they do not have enough time to pull over motorists as a result, and spend as much as 70% of their time on other tasks.
There is a reason why so many motorists in Georgia feel comfortable driving at excessive speeds or using cell phones while driving even when the laws specifically forbid them from doing so. The lack of visible police officers only encourages such rash driving behavior thereby increasing the number of auto accidents.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.