While the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the morning commute along Phoenix’s streets and freeways isn’t what it used to be. Many who would typically be on the streets on their way to their job are now working from home.
According to a recent report appearing on the Fox 10 website, there are now 75% fewer crashes than there were before Arizonans were told to stay at home to avoid spreading the Coronavirus.
Figures obtained from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) indicate that there were some 1,018 crashes in the Phoenix metropolitan area in the last two weeks of March. That figure has now dropped to just 266.
Fewer cars on the road naturally mean fewer accidents. And while this figure shows a remarkable reduction, Chuck Farmer, with the Institute for Highway Safety, told Fox that this is not a new phenomenon. During the past recession, there was also a similar marked drop in highway accidents because people were traveling much less. “One thing to remember is it’s temporary,” Farmer said, “because once the crash ended, it jumped back up again.”
During the last week of March, the DPS conducted an operation that handed out some 300 citations in Maricopa County. Most of the tickets were issued for speeding.
Even though there are fewer cars on the road during the pandemic doesn’t mean that there is no risk of getting into an accident; it just means that you may have a little less chance of getting into one.
