Nationwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has left a significant impact on the flow of traffic in nearly every part of the country, including Pennsylvania. In 2021, an assessment of national traffic flow by the American Transportation Research Institute found that the country’s gradual return to work had created traffic congestion and supply chain bottlenecks at a number of new junctions. Among the 100 worst traffic bottlenecks in the nation, three were in the Philadelphia region. If you’ve been in an accident and need the best injury lawyer in Philadelphia, contacting an experienced law firm is the best way to recover compensation for your injuries.
Is Philadelphia dangerous for drivers and pedestrians?
Philadelphia is a Vision Zero city, and the city’s annual 2021 VZ report on the prior year’s data returned some alarming results. Like many regions across the country, Philadelphia experienced an unexpected and alarming spike in traffic fatalities during 2020. Compared to the previous year, the annual change in Philadelphia traffic fatalities rose by 82% from 2019 – the highest annual change in nearly three decades, well above the previous high of nearly 30% in 1999.
Philadelphia was not the only city in the United States to experience this unfortunate phenomenon, prompting many to ask the question: “Why do car crashes happen at a higher rate during periods of substantially lower road congestion?” Philadelphia’s Vision Zero report came to a similar conclusion as many other traffic agencies nationwide: speed and aggressive driving increased significantly while roads were emptier as a result of COVID-19 mandates and stay-at-home orders. During 2020, 42% of all fatal or serious injury crashes in Philadelphia were flagged as “aggressive driving” incidents – a metric that includes speeding.
Have recent car accidents in Philadelphia subsided after 2020?
Although regional data is still being collected for Philadelphia, an initial report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that serious crashes remained elevated in the first three quarters of 2021 across much of the nation. In Pennsylvania, estimated traffic fatalities rose by 9.7% year over year from 2020, to a statewide total of 903 deaths. With many key local businesses in Philadelphia still reportedly remaining closed in 2022, and pedestrian traffic increasing to over 300,000 in October of 2021 (compared to over 100,000 the prior year), risk factors tied to recent hit and run accidents in Philadelphia remain on the rise; in 2020, the second leading contributing traffic to the spike in serious accidents was a collision with a pedestrian.
Finding the Best Injury Lawyer in Philadelphia for Your Case
Similar to other cities that have programs such as Vision Zero, which are intended to reduce the frequency and severity of traffic accidents, Philadelphia has a number of safety initiatives underway. Unfortunately, many of these won’t be completed until 2025, and serious accidents will inevitably persist even then. If you’ve been injured in any type of incident in the city (from a Philadelphia truck accident to a construction accident in Philadelphia) and need one of the top Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers on your case, we may be able to help. The team at Avrek Law has recovered more than $1 billion for our clients, in many different types of personal injury cases. Learn how we work on a “no win, no fee” basis and view our locations, or contact a representative to learn more and receive a free injury lawsuit consultation – we want to hear more about your case!
