The cars on the road today have far more safety features than they did even a decade ago. And yet, deadly motor vehicle crashes are on the rise. In 2022, Maine had 168 fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes, more than it had seen in well over a decade. Likewise, in New Hampshire, deaths related to motorcycle crashes have skyrocketed, as have highway motor vehicle crashes.

What is going on?

One obvious answer is the rise of texting while driving. The increase in the amount of texting and driving is evident to anyone on the roads, and it is also clear from the available data. In fact, police officers in Maine are writing thousands of tickets for texting while driving each year. In addition, available data shows that, even when a driver is talking on Bluetooth, she is less attentive to the road than she normally would be.

Speeding has also increased since the pandemic. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has suggested that drivers simply got used to driving faster during the period that fewer cars were on the road.

In his new book “The Phoenix Economy,” Felix Salmon notes that Covid-19 increased a whole range of risky behaviors; not only speeding, but smoking, drinking, and drug use. In particular, the risk-taking of younger men increased drastically. Tragically, while the death rates from Covid among young Americans were quite low, young people are dying at alarmingly high rates.

The question is whether that will recede in the wake of Covid, or if it is with us to stay. In the meantime, it is vital to stay vigilant on the road.

When someone else’s negligence causes your motor vehicle accident, you may be eligible to recover compensation. Speak with the dedicated attorneys of Gideon Asen, LLC, today to discover your legal options.