Despite there being fewer cars on the road as the result of COVID-19 throughout 2020, drivers’ behavior grew increasingly risky and impatient, resulting in some staggering statistics and a high level of accident victims.

The National Highway Traffic Administration and INRIX IQ rolled out some alarming data about the uptick in fatalities on the road in 2020, and this is something that our injury attorney in Baton Rouge will continue to monitor.

Lower Car Accident Rates But an Increase in Severity

Based on data from the INRIX that they spent months compiling and tracking, the first four months of the pandemic showed a decrease in both traffic and collisions, however, the collision rates at this time were similar to those in August 2019.

From April to July of last year, car accidents were down 42 percent. However, the median vehicle miles traveled went down 35 percent. From August through October of 2020, collisions were only down 9 percent despite overall traffic being down 21 percent as a whole.

You may think that the lower accident rate should mean good news for our personal injury lawyer in Baton Rouge, but the severity of each accident was higher. The median speed was up 33 percent from April to July of last year. INRIX found that the median speed was up 22 percent from August to October.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found similar trends in their data as well. Despite the decrease in overall traffic at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicles increased significantly.

The NHTSA released a statement that noted a 13.1 percent increase in fatalities from Q3 in 2020 compared to Q3 in 2019.

How a Personal Injury Lawyer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Can Help

First and foremost, invest in helpful tools such as a traffic accident kit to keep in your car. This won’t take up a ton of space and it will give you peace of mind while you’re on the road.

Secondly, our law office can work with you to help you receive maximum compensation as the result of another driver’s negligence. We have experience working with insurance companies and can assist with recovering any lost wages due to pain and suffering.

Contact us today if you need a personal injury law firm in Baton Rouge.