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Not the person you replied to, but I really feel like enforcement must be a pretty substantial part of what stops people from speeding and driving recklessly, g

Not the person you replied to, but I really feel like enforcement must be a pretty substantial part of what stops people from speeding and driving recklessly, given that traffic enforcement has been de-emphasized since the start of the pandemic and the number of road fatalities has gone up more than 7 percent, even though the actual number of miles driven has gone down. https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/2020-fatality-data-show-increased-traffic-fatalities-during-pandemic https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/2020-fatality-data-show... If people drive at whatever speed they think is safe, then why would the aggregate number of people dying on roadways ever go up when miles driven by the same population goes down? Here are the possibilities: 1. Driving has become more risky due to external, uncontrollable factors, like weather or road changes that motorists can't account for or 2. People are modifying their behavior. Why would they modify their behavior? The roads haven't changed. The speed limits haven't changed. What has changed? More people are dead because of extreme speed and reckless driving on roadways, which kind of suggests that traffic enforcement did at least prevent some of those deaths.

Zak 5y ago
I'm not sure there's enough information to draw such a conclusion. For example, due to changes brought on by the pandemic, the makeup of vehicles, drivers, and reasons for driving may have been significantly different. One interesting point from your link was a significant increase in drivers involved in fatal crashes testing positive for drugs including cannabis and alcohol, but especially opioids. It would take real research to quantify the relative effects of each of: 1. Increased speeding due to reduced enforcement 2. Increased DUI due to reduced enforcement 3. Increased DUI due to pandemic-related drug use
- olyjohn 5y ago
  Also, is there actually any evidence of reduced traffic enforcement? Or are people just assuming this?
olyjohn 5y ago
Except the road conditions totally changed. At the beginning of the pandemic, you had hardly any traffic anywhere. No more were people being slowed down to 25mph on the freeway by a traffic jam. You could easily cruise 60mph into the city for a long time. Suddenly, a morning wreck meant someone crashed at 60 instead of 25.
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
You need to stop equating speeding with driving recklessly. Going 70-80 on a limited access highway when conditions permit is not reckless. Weaving through traffic at 20+ the prevailing speed with no margin for error is. A number on a sign does squat to effect either group.

Zak 5y ago

I'm not sure there's enough information to draw such a conclusion. For example, due to changes brought on by the pandemic, the makeup of vehicles, drivers, and reasons for driving may have been significantly different. One interesting point from your link was a significant increase in drivers involved in fatal crashes testing positive for drugs including cannabis and alcohol, but especially opioids. It would take real research to quantify the relative effects of each of: 1. Increased speeding due to reduced enforcement 2. Increased DUI due to reduced enforcement 3. Increased DUI due to pandemic-related drug use

olyjohn 5y ago
Also, is there actually any evidence of reduced traffic enforcement? Or are people just assuming this?

olyjohn 5y ago

Except the road conditions totally changed. At the beginning of the pandemic, you had hardly any traffic anywhere. No more were people being slowed down to 25mph on the freeway by a traffic jam. You could easily cruise 60mph into the city for a long time. Suddenly, a morning wreck meant someone crashed at 60 instead of 25.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

You need to stop equating speeding with driving recklessly. Going 70-80 on a limited access highway when conditions permit is not reckless. Weaving through traffic at 20+ the prevailing speed with no margin for error is. A number on a sign does squat to effect either group.