Fewer cars on world’s roads but deadlier crashes during lockdown, stats show

A police photographer documents the scene of a horrific car accident in Soweto. A driver had lost control of his vehicle and driven directly into the path of an oncoming bus. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/GIDEON MENDELCoronavirus lockdowns led to huge reductions in traffic and fewer car crashes this northern hemisphere spring, but as drivers sped up on quieter roads, the collisions became deadlier in several cities, a Reuters analysis shows.

In the US state of Ohio, researchers found that while average speeds were up only slightly from March 28 to April 19 in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton, the amount of extreme speeding increased dramatically. “When two vehicles collide at about 30km/h, that results in a fender-bender,” said Joe Cutrufo, a spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives, a group that advocates for safe streets and better biking, walking and public transit options in New York City. “When two vehicles and a pedestrian collide at about 60km/h, that results in a funeral.”

In London, nine people died in traffic collisions in April, about the same as past years, according to data from Transport for London, a government body responsible for the city's transport system.

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