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Roads more dangerous during COVID-19 pandemic
Houston-area drivers are speeding significantly more during COVID-19 pandemic and officials say the problem is only getting worse.
PASADENA, Texas - Although crime has been down in the Greater Houston area during the COVID-19 pandemic, speeding and traffic violations have gone up, and it’s starting to get worse with stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions lifting.
15% of all traffic accidents in the City of Pasadena occur on SH 225 between Beltway 8 and Scarborough Lane, with two out of three recent motor vehicle fatalities occurring here.
Officer M. Giacomuzzi with the Traffic Unit of the Pasadena Police Department tells FOX 26 “If anything we’ve seen more violations in traffic with people exceeding the speed limit because there is a lesser amount of traffic on the roadway.”
With the state slowly re-opening many of us can’t wait to get behind the wheel and go for a drive especially with Memorial Day Weekend upon us but that doesn’t mean that the rules of the road don’t apply.
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“We anticipate that as bars are opening, as shopping stores are opening there is going to be an increase in traffic on the freeways, on the roadways, and so because of that we want to remind people that just because the roadways are not as clear as they were, please slow down, be safe, be kind and courteous to your other drivers.” Says Giacomuzzi.
The City of Houston hasn’t seen as many major accidents but acknowledges speed is an issue.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says “We’ve been very fortunate that our fatalities are down right now, year to date. But part of that is because a lot of the thing that kills is not just speed, it's speed plus drinking, and we have crackdown so hard on DWIs that I think it’s having an impact.”
Officer Giacomuzzi adds, “We are increasing our presence, especially on 225, on our major thoroughfares just to remind people that we are here.”