Half Empty Streets Amid COVID-19 Stay at Home Orders Cause Huge Drop in Traffic Collisions
There is no doubt that for most Americans, our regular, busy lives involve getting in our cars to get to work or school, to take our kids to lessons or meet our friends for dinner at a restaurant. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the average American driver travels 13,476 miles each year. It goes without saying that all of these cars on the road means a lot of car accidents. With Washington State under a “stay at home order” since last Wednesday, March 23, thousands of Washingtonians are now working from home or laid off and no one should be travelling to take their kids to lessons or visit with friends. With this dramatic decrease in activity on the roads, it’s a good time to compare Bellingham Police calls for car accidents year over year.