If you suspect drivers in your part of Kentucky are speeding more these days, you’re probably right. A university study from across the border in Ohio shows that as traffic has plummeted due to coronavirus lockdowns, drivers have given into the temptation to hit the accelerator.
Researchers at The Ohio State University examined traffic data from the largest cities in their state from March 28 to Apr. 19 and compared the numbers with the same time period last year. While the overall average level of speeding only increased slightly, the study found that “extreme speeding” had gone up significantly. An article about the study does not define “extreme speeding,” but it presumably means far exceeding the speed limit.
Lockdown rules have more people working from home or not working at all, significantly reducing traffic. Emptier highways seem to be giving some people an excuse to drive extremely fast, the study’s director said.
Quarantine is no excuse for extreme speeding
Of course, a highway is not a racetrack, and relatively lower traffic does not mean someone who decides to drive, say, 90 miles per hour down I-265, is only putting themselves in danger. Other drivers and passengers are still on the road, trying to get to their destination safely. Speed limits exist to keep motorists at a reasonably safe speed that minimizes the risk of losing control and causing a terrible car accident. Driving 20, 30, 40 mph or more over the limit greatly increases that risk.
Find out more about your claim for damages
If you were injured by a speeding driver, you could have the right to pursue full compensation from that driver’s insurance company for your injuries. To understand your prospects for recovery, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.