UC Davis Report Finds Crashes, Traffic Down By Half During Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Order

DAVIS (CBS13) — A new study out of UC Davis shows the coronavirus stay-at-home orders gave reduced the number of crashes in California by half, and it’s saving tens of millions of dollars a day.

Researchers compared the number of crashes between the end of February to the middle of April to the same time period in 2019.
They found crashes were down 50%, from 1,000 a day to about 500 a day.

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They also found the amount of traffic was down 55% on certain highways.

Additionally, there was also a 40-50 percent decrease in trauma-injuries for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists reported among Sacramento-area hospitals.

According to the study, the reductions save the state an estimated $40 million per day, about $1 billion over the time period. Those costs include property damage, emergency responses, hospitalizations, and lost time at work.

The report states “the reduction in traffic accidents is unparalleled.”