Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
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Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
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Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#2Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior.
Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we were tolerating lawlessness in a way that we hadn’t before. People just realized there weren’t consequences and started doing crazy things.
Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#3Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
I think that the argument being made in the article is not that reckless driving and road rage didn't increase, but that these are "crimes of opportunity" and that the behaviors have always existed, but that traffic congestion suppressed their expression.
It's an interesting theory, and I believe that there is some truth to it. But I also believe that the events of 2020 did cause behavioral changes as well.
Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#4Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
If people are weaving in and out of traffic, they are likely not the most at-fault. If it is both possible and desirable to pass you on the right, you are committing a crime in many states and a civil infraction in others.
For example, in Virginia, it is explicitly lawful to pass on the right on a multi-lane highway, Code Virg. § 46.2-841, available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... and explicitly unlawful to remain at the prevailing traffic speed in the passing lane when someone is trying to pass, Code Virg. § 46.2-842.1 ("The driver of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow the overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do so."), available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... .
Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#5Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
If people are weaving in and out of traffic, they are likely not the most at-fault. If it is both possible and desirable to pass you on the right, you are committing a crime in many states and a civil infraction in others. For example, in Virginia, it is explicitly lawful to pass on the right on a multi-lane highway, Code Virg. § 46.2-841, available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... a…
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Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#6Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
I noticed this as well in Toronto. If you tell people it's the end of the world, and create that impression by shutting everything down so it looks like zombie apocalypse out there, people's time preferences shorten, their anxiety and aggression spike.
Toronto also suspended lots of low-level law enforcement like parking tickets, reinforcing an atmosphere of living outside normal rules.
Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#7Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
Anecdotally, I saw the same thing on city streets at that time. Cars would blow through stop signs and go right-on-red while hardly even slowing down or looking for pedestrians. It felt like everyone was in an anxious rush to get out of public spaces, while at max fear of the virus and the stay-at-home dictates.
My observations of course could be confirmation bias, but I certainly felt it as a pedestrian and cyclist.
Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#8Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
If people are weaving in and out of traffic, they are likely not the most at-fault. If it is both possible and desirable to pass you on the right, you are committing a crime in many states and a civil infraction in others. For example, in Virginia, it is explicitly lawful to pass on the right on a multi-lane highway, Code Virg. § 46.2-841, available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... a…
It’s not so much going slow in the left lane stuff. I see that everyday anyway but I was seeing people just drive and weave in and out of lanes because fuck it. Like going 90 in a 55 and just swerving because why not. Lots of crazy stuff. Anecdote of course. Hope that goes without saying
Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#9Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
If people are weaving in and out of traffic, they are likely not the most at-fault. If it is both possible and desirable to pass you on the right, you are committing a crime in many states and a civil infraction in others. For example, in Virginia, it is explicitly lawful to pass on the right on a multi-lane highway, Code Virg. § 46.2-841, available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... a…
Depends on the level of desire, no?
Re: Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why
#10Obviously just an anecdote but reckless driving and road rage got way worse during the pandemic. When the roads were cleared back in March/April 2020 I saw a ton of people driving like maniacs, 100+ MPH in Columbus on I-71 and weaving in and out of traffic, drifting into another lane with no signal, lots of just really bad behavior. Idk why but combined with the dirt bike gangs and riots and protests it felt like we…
If people are weaving in and out of traffic, they are likely not the most at-fault. If it is both possible and desirable to pass you on the right, you are committing a crime in many states and a civil infraction in others. For example, in Virginia, it is explicitly lawful to pass on the right on a multi-lane highway, Code Virg. § 46.2-841, available at https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/secti... a…
If people are weaving in-and-out of traffic that means they're at least going faster than the majority of people on the road. Assuming everyone's going a reasonable speed, that means this person is an anomaly that's likely going a bit over the speed limit (if not significantly over). If I'm in the left lane going 70 in a 70, and you pass me on the right going 80, I can tell you which one of us is "more at-fault", and it's not apparently who you think it is.