BOISE, Idaho — At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer drivers were on the road and there was a significant reduction in the number of miles traveled. Despite the drop, however, there was an increase in the number of traffic fatalities.
According to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, while most drivers decreased their time behind the wheel during the pandemic, a small percentage of drivers increased their driving time. This group was younger and disproportionately male, and statistically riskier than the average population.
"There are many possible explanations for the spike in crash fatalities. Risky drivers represented a higher proportion of those who were on the road, and they also may have engaged in more frequent dangerous behavior with less traffic," said AAA Idaho public affairs director, Matthew Conde. "Regardless of the cause, the trend for the past two years has been moving in the wrong direction. We need to break some bad habits and return to safe and engaged driving."
During the pandemic, most Americans scaled back their driving activities, but four percent of the population actually drove more, with two-thirds of that group being young males. Those who increased their driving were also more likely to report engaging in dangerous behavior, according to AAA.
The average daily number of driving trips made by U.S. adults decreased by 42% in April 2020, according to AAA's American Driving Survey, before rebounding to about 20% below the 2019 levels in the latter half of 2020.
There were 38,680 traffic deaths reported nationally in 2020, the most since 2007.
AAA supports the Safe Systems Approach, which strives to improve roadway safety by using several countermeasures to anticipate and mitigate the risk of serious crashes instead of reacting to crashes that have already happened.
"It all starts with observing the speed limit," Conde said. "Drivers may not realize that you'd have to travel 100 miles to save 5 minutes by moving at 80 mph instead of 75 mph. The greater likelihood of a severe crash impact isn't worth the tradeoff."
AAA encourages drivers to avoid using impairing substances before getting behind the wheel, ditch any distractions (including cell phones and other mobile devices), wear a seat belt and avoid aggressive driving such as tailgating or weaving in and out of traffic.
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