Though fewer drivers are on Louisiana's roads, reports indicate an uptick in accidents
BATON ROUGE - Across the globe, cities that typically deal with smog report blue skies and residents in areas known for massive amounts of traffic say these days they hear more birdsongs than car horns.
Pleasant as these conditions may seem, they're the result of the deadly novel coronavirus pandemic, and since the virus resulted in Louisiana officials issuing a statewide stay at home directive, there's been a decrease in traffic and an increase in fatal traffic accidents.
According to the Louisiana Highway State Commission (LHSC), there's been an eight percent uptick in fatal collisions in the state since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the state in early March.
The data seems odd, seeing as it parallels a 30% decrease in the amount of drivers on Louisiana's roadways due to the pandemic.
Officials with LHSC believe the key to the disturbing issue lies in driver awareness.
The virus pandemic is an extreme source of anxiety to residents and once they get behind the wheel, the distractions of the virus itself and the domino effect of related worries lead to drivers becoming distracted and making mistakes that sometimes prove to be fatal.
Officials urge drivers to keep in mind that just because traffic is lighter doesn't mean the rules of the road have relaxed.
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They're reminding Louisiana's drivers to obey speed limits and to, of course, refrain from getting behind the wheel while tired or impaired in any way.
Click here to learn more about traffic safety from LHSC.