What Drove Traffic Crashes Up Last Year?

[XLFD]

In 2020, the year of Covid shutdowns and travel advisories, one would not be surprised to find that the amount of miles driven by Americans spiked downward.  The surprising statistic is that the amount of traffic crash fatalities spiked upward at the same time, making the fatalities/miles driven rate spike even more upward.

(Associated Press)  "Pandemic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders kept many drivers off U.S. roads and highways last year. But those who did venture out found open lanes that only invited reckless driving, leading to a sharp increase in traffic-crash deaths across the country.

The nonprofit National Safety Council (NSC) estimates in a report issued Thursday that 42,060 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020, an 8% increase over 2019 and the first jump in four years.

Plus, the fatality rate per 100 million miles driven spiked 24%, the largest annual percentage increase since the council began collecting data in 1923.  Federal data shows that Americans drove 13% fewer miles last year."

The article offers some theories as to why the statistics went the way they did, while offering some anecdotes of officials seeing a rise in risk-taking behavior on the roads, adding that the percentage of crashes attributed to drug impairments (alcohol, marijuana, opioids, etc.) also rose.  

One could definitely make the case that the psychological factors of dealing with the 'new normal' probably drove many to escape more through intoxicants, while the loss of control over their lives and their businesses could have made them accept more risk when driving.  Yet, what if the rise in fatal crash rates was less on the psychological side and more on the physical side?

For the main difference between driving in the years preceding 2020 and driving in 2020, especially in certain states, was the widespread wearing of masks in 2020.  Consider that many inherent dangers arise from actually wearing a mask when driving.  Most people adjust their masks religiously, particularly when there is not a good seal. This creates not only a manual disruption, but a cognitive one as well. The feeling of the mask disrupts your thought patterns which can cause you to adjust it, prompting a loss of concentration on the road and your speedometer making a crash more likely.   

If you wear glasses, most masks don’t fit properly or lack an adjustable nose bridge, which can cause your breath to rise through the opening and fog up your glasses. The visual distraction is annoying and unnecessarily puts you at an exceeded risk of being involved in a crash.  In similar manner, if you do not wear glasses, wearing a face mask makes the exhaled air go into the eyes, this generates an uncomfortable dry-eye feeling, tiredness, and an impulse to touch your eyes. If your hands are contaminated, you are infecting yourself.

While most people understand that a mask is unnecessary when they drive by themselves or with household members, taxicab, bus, and delivery drivers usually wear masks due to law, expedience, or courtesy, and many may forego their eyewear rather than their mask and become a danger on the road because of poor vision.  Added to that problem has been the closure of eye doctors for most of 2020 in many states, leading to many having visual difficulties.

Even if one does not wear a mask while driving home from a job, if that job required the wearing of face masks for 8 or more hours one may temporarily experience hypooxygenemia and hypercapnia which reduce working efficiency and the ability to make correct decisions.   Dizziness, headaches, and shortness of breath are commonly experienced as side effects of wearing masks over a long period of time.  These conditions negatively affect driving skills and can cause crashes.

An earlier study from the NSC from six months ago indirectly illustrates why wearing masks driving or before driving appears to increase traffic crashes.  Vermont led the nation, with a 91% increase in crash fatalities, they instituted a mask mandate on April 20th.  Connecticut had a 46% increase, starting their mask mandate on April 17th.  Washington DC's mayor enacted his first mask order on April 9th, their crash fatality rate increase was 42%.  Their early mask mandates were among the toughest in the nation.  None of the seven safest states, all having a 16% or better reduction in traffic fatalities over that period, had statewide mask mandates until after June 30th.

In the face of these physical and statistical realities, one might unmask the truth behind the hidden danger that has made our roads and streets less safe.

[AQUAMAN]

Another fine post X, showing with stats. the negative impact these masks are now causing all over our highways this past year. Thanks again for unmasking the real truths for our true safety and future. Btw, I do wear glasses, and they do get fogged up in stores, so I discontinue to use them for any driving, esp. when usually alone anyhow. But the go-t I wear also grows about 3 times faster than normal, so I am trimming it much more often, lol.

[Willy]

Good article X. I also did a little research myself and discovered why there were so many more incidents of vehicle misuse. It was from the improper use of the masks. The learning curve on how to use them while driving was just to steep for the brain dead people who put them on while outdoors and while they were in their cars.

[XLFD]

If the mask doesn't seem to work, just put more of them on.  The driver above doesn't realize his eyes are now better protected from infection and from spreading infection.

[XLFD]

Plagiarism is the representation of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.  I offered seven links to other websites that verified what I was writing, those are references for this researched article.  If there is another article out there that made the causal link between rising fatality crash rates and mask-wearing, I am unaware of those.  Please elaborate on your charge, Jitters.

[Freedom Seeker]

Thank you, X, for the links, research and opinion. With today's social media outlets, what isn't opinion? If that bothers you Jitter, turn your attention elsewhere and refrain from labeling a local website article as plagiarized when it is not. Maybe you are the one who doesn't understand the word.

Btw. Yes, the emotional devastation on this country has risen, and if you are in an accident, LE has less compassion than ever, Imo (that's "in my opinion" for you in Jitter land).

In fact, I've recently advocated for a friend who had a traffic violation, and it seems LE is coming down harder than ever and exerting their power even with greater ego and ranging on emergency executive power--gone wild, imo. The word from the secretary of state is "don't drive." They would like everyone off the roads and masked in their own homes. That's my harsh opinion and reality if you happen to have a violation which could be an accident. With the Secretary of State, there are no more "accidents" just bad drivers (again, imo) Mr.Jitter.

I feel the pressure of covid is making the pension seekers turn up the heat because the endless pot of taxpayer money pension fund could be in jeopardy with our mounting state and federal debt, in my opinion.

[Freedom Seeker]

Mr.Jitter. I don't mind others view points, but I do mind someone who doesn't understand the definition of "plagiarism" and then attributes that falsely to another's writing. And until you apologize for that or at least admit that there is no plagiarism in XLFD post, my opinion of your knowledge is low, on the level of troll, your research skills are nil and you have nothing positive to say. If you have anything positive to say about wearing masks or anything else and include verifiable studies, go for it, you may change my opinion.

[Freedom Seeker]

Because there is right and there is wrong, in this case. And you are wrong, Mr. Jitter. Go get educated before you accuse someone of plagarism.

I do not need to defend, XLFD. Believe me he is much better at it than I am.  What I do not defend is your spoon-fed opinion which sounds like you're a city official who for years has covered up truth that XLFD has uncovered.  Do a little research.  All the articles are in this blog history.

[Freedom Seeker]

I thank you for admitting that you at least offended the article.  What I asked for is your acknowledgement that there is no "plagarism" in the article because his opinion is noted and linked with research.  In case you still haven't looked up the definition, let me put it in simple ninth-grade book report level language: "You cannot copy another's writing without noting the source."  

As for the "Do better" maybe X will answer, because I cannot take credit for the article.

[Freedom Seeker]

Potent points, Lake Lady.  So sad that family killed.  I don't get the snooze so I take your summary on it.  I'm all for rehabilitation rather than cold incarceration without rehab, but it appears the driver who killed the young family had many chances.  Let's hope there is justice for the family killed.

Also haunting me is that the person who hit the lady in Scottville walking with her groceries. It hasn't still been reported to my knowledge who the hit-and-run driver was.  

The devastation this stupid virus and lockdown has created an emotional upheaval on everyone, and unfortunately alcohol and substance abuse is up.  And further compounding, when we see and have to live through politcal corruption, local, state or federal, it only adds pressure to the burden of stressors.  And then, I'm noticing that some law enforcement (LE) itself is coming down harder with its authority where it can.  I've recently noticed a bitterness of some LE against the courts, who they maybe consider too liberal.  The world is a real mess right now. 

[XLFD]

Jitters obviously lacks the formal education to figure out what plagiarism is or what an opinion piece is, the lack of any training in debate shows through his terse yet vapid arguments.  If I were to classify this article I would call it an investigative and conjecture piece that sees the apparent anomaly of rising fatal crashes with reduced miles of driving and focuses on what one of the problems might be by discerning what was different than normal last year.

It is not opinion that before 2020 you never saw people driving with masks on, and very low percentages of folks who wore masks all day at their jobs.  It is not opinion that mask wearing does present mechanical difficulties and extra distractions while a person drives.  It is not opinion that there are negative physical effects to a person that wears a mask.  And it is not opinion that the three states who had the highest crash fatality rates had some of the most stringent mask mandates early on, and the seven states with the lowest rates did not.  

Granted, this is not a scientific declaration that masks are the definitive cause of increased fatal crashes, but it seems to lay a compelling foundation to provide a hypothesis for a scientific study to confirm or deny the premise I present.  If Jitters wants to debate the merits, he's more than welcomed to, but starting off with unmerited statements attacking this innocent author's academic honesty is not the best way to do so, in my honest opinion.

[AQUAMAN]

Well said X, and anyone with logic and true conscience should agree with. It would appear Jitters is another progressive that does not think with reason and aptitude to any extent, and blatantly excepts the fake news of the day.

[XLFD]

I definitely did not.