By Austin Price, Staff Writer
As a young driver, I can safely say that this past year has been a scarier driving experience than any other year of my life. Currently, it seems as if everyone on the road is aggressive, tired, distracted, or risky, and according to recent studies, they are. While bumper to bumper traffic may not be unusual for downtown Denver, it certainly is unprecedented for side streets and back roads. However, with constant construction and lane closures, driving has become more and more of a stressful battle to get to your desired destination without damaging yourself, your surroundings, your car, or the other drivers around you.
Many drivers are left asking themselves why driving, a standard and normalized part of society, has become such a taboo and dangerous situation. Is it stress over finances and the economy? Fear for the future of the environment? Or hesitation in human interaction as a lasting side effect from the COVID-19 pandemic? Better yet, is it a wicked combination of all three? Experts suggest that humans have become more volatile and shorter tempered, and this attitude has impacted their driving.
Humans get annoyed easily. We are irritated by a multitude of things and the current political and environmental turmoil is certainly not helping. However, our aggressive attitudes are not justification for the destruction of property and even more importantly, the careless deaths of others. Just because we are frustrated behind the wheel does not mean a family should lose a loved one. And yet, drivers with underlying anger and mental distress continue to get into vehicles and channel their emotions into their driving.
According to NBC News, deaths from crashes rose by nearly 7% from 2019 to 2020, then by more than 10% from 2020 to 2021. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that deaths from car crashes in the first few months of this year hit the highest quarterly total since 2002. Traffic deaths were up by 7% compared to the first quarter of 2021, and last year's auto deaths were already at a 15-year high. This is a direct reversal of the pre-pandemic trend where deaths from car crashes in the U.S. declined for three years leading up to 2020.
Experts believed that these increased fatalities on the road were due to the unimaginable stress and turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but even as the pandemic has continued to stabilize and we continue to adapt to this new world, our driving habits become even more deadly. Road safety experts attribute the increase to riskier driving as fewer people wear seat belts and as speeding and impaired driving rises, among other factors. David Harkey, the president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said risky driving behaviors "were exacerbated during the pandemic, and they seem to have this hangover effect that’s now occurring."
Yes, the pandemic was and still is devastating and life altering. However, you would think an international crisis would bring people together due to the appreciation of lives saved and respect for those lost but instead, the pandemic has brought out the worst in people. A 2020 survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that people who drove more than usual during the pandemic were more likely to engage in riskier behaviors, including reading text messages, speeding, running red lights on purpose, aggressively changing lanes, not wearing seat belts, or driving after having consumed alcohol or cannabis. In 2020, deaths from speeding-related crashes increased by 17% and deaths from alcohol-impaired driving rose by 14% compared to 2019.
Many believe this is due to the apocalyptic, dystopian world we experienced in the height of the pandemic. Open highways during the pandemic may have tempted drivers to go faster, experts said. They also pointed to a lack of law enforcement on the road due, in part, to worries about COVID-19 safety and racial profiling. In a survey last year completed by NBC News, with more than 1,000 police officers and deputies, nearly 60% of officers said they were less likely to stop vehicles than they were before 2020.
Pandemic-driven grief and carelessness is not the only culprit of the change in drivers’ behavior. According to CNBC, New vehicles on sale in the U.S. today are the safest and most advanced ever made, yet roadway fatalities last year reached their highest level in 16 years. The reasoning is a complex combination of reckless or distracted driving, largely due to cellphone usage, increased sales of trucks and SUVs, and higher performance of vehicles. Plus, the expected proliferation of electric vehicles, with weighty batteries and record performance may not help the issue going forward. Both the weight and horsepower of vehicles are estimated to be at all-time highs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA reports the average horsepower of vehicles has steadily increased for more than a decade and is up nearly 80% compared with 1975. Preliminary data for the 2021 model year reached an average of 246 horsepower, with some newer performance ones topping 700 horsepower or more.
The devastation of vehicle accidents and fatalities is also proving to be a racially and economically motivated issue. According to the New York times, traffic fatalities are much more common in low-income neighborhoods and among Native and Black Americans. Fatalities are less common among Asian Americans and the evidence about Latinos is mixed. There are multiple reasons for this increase, including socioeconomic differences in vehicle quality, road conditions, substance abuse and availability of crosswalks. The increasing inequality of traffic deaths is also part of a larger COVID-19 pattern in the U.S. Much of the burden from the pandemic’s disruptions has fallen on historically disadvantaged groups including increased deaths due to COVID-19 are higher among people of color.
To put it simply, driving is no longer a fast and convenient way of commuting or an advanced tool we use in our daily lives. Driving is now a deadly risk and poses dangerous predictions on our society. Heidi Worley, a senior writer for the Population Reference Bureau, reports an estimated 1.2 million people are killed in road crashes each year, and as many as 50 million are injured, occupying 30 percent to 70 percent of orthopedic beds in developing countries hospitals. Worley writes, “Road traffic injuries affect mainly males (73 percent of deaths) and those between 15 and 44 years old, this burden is creating enormous economic hardship due to the loss of family breadwinners.”
Despite these staggering statistics, we have yet to make a change. With such an immense challenge facing us, how do we even start to make a dent in this problem? Well, the answer is simple. We start small. It is time to take it back to our 16-year-old selves taking our driver’s test and remember the basics of safe driving.
Keep up with your car’s maintenance
Take your car to the shop or dealer for a checkup, oil change, and standard review every 6 to 12 months, depending on how much you drive. This can also be measured by tracking your mileage. After 6,000 miles, a standard check-in recommended by experts, especially if you drive a large vehicle.
Practice defensive driving
Being a defensive driver, you could foresee probable road crashes. Also, a good way to avoid road accidents is by simply being courteous. Being courteous makes you more cautious and gives other drivers extra room in case of an emergency.
Buckle up
No matter your age, size, or seat in the car, wear your seatbelt. The simple pull and click of a seatbelt can prevent countless fatalities and reduce injuries in the case of a car accident. Protect yourself and protect your fellow passengers.
Keep your distance
Many drivers are impatient, and this can lead to driving too close to another car that they cannot react in time if the car in front of them brakes suddenly. You should always allow one car length between the car in front of you for every 10 mph you drive. Many fatal car accidents have occurred when a driver dangerously tailgates another driver at high speeds and is unable to stop in time when the rear lights come on.
Look ahead
Whether you’re driving on the highway or on regular streets, it pays to look ahead. Not paying attention to what’s going on 2 or 3 seconds down the road can actually lead to an accident in a split second. You should always have an exit strategy or at least be prepared to speed or slow down should you need to in order to avoid an accident.
And there you have it, five simple ways to stay safe and alert on the roads. While we must recognize that no one is perfect, and accidents do happen, we also must recognize that there are steps we can take are drivers and passengers to look out for one another and keep each other safe on the road. Whether you’re driving through a neighborhood or on a freeway, be aware of your surroundings and understand that your method of driving changes based on your environment.