4 ms·

Just to be clear, this means there's fewer accidents but the ones the do happen are more fatal?

• tails4e 6y ago
  I would guess the accidents per mile driven could be up also, and if people are really reckless the deaths per mile driven and per accident could have risen
• Swizec 6y ago
  More deaths per mile driven. It means fewer people are on the road and driving less, but the ones that are, are more likely to die. For example: You drive tipsy 1x/month after a party and commute every day. Your death rate is X. During corona, you don’t commute, but still drive tipsy 1x/month. Your death rate is way higher. Maybe even 10X. Crucially, your death rate per month remains unchanged. PS: part of the effect is also lack of practice. You think your reflexes and skills are the same as when you drove daily. They are rusty. This part kills a lot of middle age motorcyclists jumping back on the bike after 20 years.
• Tiktaalik 6y ago
  The nature of vehicles is changing as well in a not great way. Trucks and SUVs are dramatically more dangerous to pedestrians than cars.
  • ilaksh 6y ago
    Really? I don't see how that is so. Because an average car still weighs 3000 pounds. And 3000 moving pounds versus 200 moving pounds is still more than 10 times difference in energy. I have always felt that the way humans share space with any kind of vehicle is perilous from a physics standpoint, relative to other risks in daily life. I actually think there will be a new type of city where they are separated by physical boundaries, levels and/or bridges etc.
    • zizee 6y ago
      It's about the height of the bonnet. An SUV is taller and pedestrians are more likely to go under the vehicle, or (I'd have to check) hit their heads in the collision.