COVID-19 shutdowns have led to fewer people on the roads — and much higher speeds
Fewer people on the road since the coronavirus outbreak has meant some drivers are taking the opportunity to go fast.
Traffic numbers are slowly beginning to increase — and Memorial Day is expected to bring the number of drivers on the road up even more — but when the state shut down and people stayed home, traffic dropped significantly, with numbers from the Ada County Highway District showing a more than 40% drop immediately after the governor’s stay-home order.
It’s normal for people to drive faster as traffic thins, said Cpl. Kyle Willis, a member of the Boise Police Department, but when traffic dropped so dramatically, he started to see people hit speeds they normally wouldn’t be able to with other cars around.
Willis said he’s seen people going more than 90 miles per hour on the Interstate 184 Connector, which has a speed limit of 60. He even stopped one driver going 119 mph on I-84 between Broadway and Vista, where the speed limit is 65 mph.
“When you’re going that fast, it can be a lot harder to react to things, which makes everything more dangerous,” Willis said. “Even if you do react immediately, the car is still going to go a lot farther after you react than it would at a slower speed.”
Traffic enforcement across the Treasure Valley noted similar speeding. Though the number of traffic infractions dropped in Meridian, one excessive speeder was going 68 in a 35 mph zone, said Stephany Galbreaith, spokesperson for the Meridian Police Department. A spokesperson for the Idaho State Police said that its patrol force had reported seeing higher speeds as well, especially at night.
Tickets at especially high speeds — more than 15 mph over the speed limit — could cost you $155. If an officer determines that your speeding is part of a greater reckless driving, however, the penalty is much greater, Willis said. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor in Idaho, which can come with up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The difference is a matter of perception on the officer’s part, Willis said.
“I gauge it more on the totality of everything going on,” he said. “What does the whole roadway look like? Are they weaving in and out of traffic, are they changing lanes, are they on curves, is it dark? What’s their driving level? A 17-year-old in a 1985 Ford pickup at 120 miles an hour is going to be much more dangerous than maybe a 45-year-old in a new car that’s built for higher speed.”
The driver going 119 mph, a 29-year-old man, was driving in a place with very little traffic at the time, according to a spokesperson for the Boise Police Department. He told Willis he was late for work.
Willis told the Statesman that, obviously, being late for work isn’t a good reason to put yourself and others at such risk.
“There is no destination worth endangering yourself or others,” he said. “Do the speed limit, wear your seat belt and be focused on the road. And my favorite hashtag is slow your roll. Look at everything around you — Idaho has some near stuff on the side of our roads, and you aren’t going to be able to see it or enjoy it at 120 miles an hour.”
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