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Speeding Has Become Commonplace in California During COVID-19 Pandemic

May 21, 2020
/ FAQs
/ By Alice Brown

Californian motorists certainly aren’t slowing down for the coronavirus. In fact, new CHP data reveals Golden State residents are driving way faster than they would under normal circumstances.

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Since California’s stay-at-home order went into effect on March 19, 2020, CHP has seen an almost 90 percent increase in speeding cases throughout the state. And we’re not talking about people going a few miles over the legal limit. Most of these motorists are moving at speeds well over 100 mph.

Between March 19 and April 19, CHP officers say they’ve written about 2,500 of these high-speed violations. During this same time last year, officials only wrote over 1,300 similar speeding tickets.

The simple explanation behind this recent increase in speed demons is that there are fewer cars on California’s roads. Ever since the COVID-19 lockdown began, traffic in California has dropped by about 35 percent.

But it’s not just California that’s seen an uptick in speeding violations. Indeed, the Governors Highway Safety Association claims there’s now a dramatic rise in speeding cases in almost all states with stay-at-home orders.

On top of speeding motorists, Californian cities are dealing with a surge in illegal racing contests. Indeed, just a few weeks ago, hundreds of people in Los Angeles disobeyed the state’s stay-at-home orders and gathered for a racing competition. Some of these drivers are causing accidents.

To help combat these road safety issues, CHP is now putting up signs to remind drivers to slow down. Helicopter patrolmen are also keeping a close eye on California’s highways and communicating with CHP units on the ground. Some cities like Los Angeles are also tweaking their traffic lights to help deter people from speeding.

Even though there are fewer cars on California’s streets, local leaders urge residents to obey the posted speed limits for their own safety. If you would like further information on California’s speeding standards, be sure to visit this official website.