Quarantine cuts number of Florida traffic crashes in half

The number of traffic crashes in Florida dropped by 50% in April compared to the same time last year, according to highway officials.

With residents holed up at home, working remotely and running fewer errands, rush hour traffic has dipped considerably. Shuttered bars and restaurants has meant fewer drunk drivers on the roads. Florida drivers were involved in 16,191 crashes last month compared to 33,692 in April 2019, according to data from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The Tampa Bay Times reports the dip started in March as the pandemic spread. Florida’s crash data showed a 25% decrease in March compared to last year.

“The fewer people out driving, the less vehicle miles traveled, the less opportunity for people to do bad things,” said Whit Blanton, executive director of Forward Pinellas, the county’s transportation planning agency.