Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, driving has become worse and worse. It was assumed that with a decrease in traffic that the roads would be safer, but they were just getting more and more dangerous. People developed a lot of bad driving habits during the pandemic and they’ve continued to have those habits well into 2021. The city of Indianapolis has recognized this disturbing trend and are starting to divert resources towards this problem.
The city of Indianapolis is diverting over $130,000 towards covering overtime shifts for police officers in order to increase the amount of traffic enforcement. The hope is that this will address the increasing number of complaints from residents. During COVID the police department has had less officers on patrol and subsequently wrote less tickets. This is due to factors like diverting resources to more serious crimes and attempting to prevent the spread of COVID. But now the reckless driving problem has become too big to ignore. This seems to be happening across the entire state and country as well, as fatal vehicle crashes in Indiana have risen by more than 8%, which is concurrent which the nationwide increase in traffic-related deaths. The extra money may or may not see immediate results, but the hope is that it will lead to a bigger and better solution.
With reckless driving comes more illegal street racing and street racing accidents as well. Whether they were inspired by a movie, under the influence, or in a fit of rage, the increase in street racing has only added to the dangers on the road. What happens if you are hit by a street racer or you turn in front of them and then get hit? Insurance companies often will put fault on a person who is hit by street racers because often time they “fail to yield” and/or “didn’t keep a proper lookout.” This could potentially be motivated by money. But in a court of law, the street racers face significant liability. In any situation where a driver intentionally engages in illegal or dangerous activity, he assumes responsibility for the consequences. This idea is called “implied malice,” and it applies to everyone involved in the street racing, not just the cars that caused the accident. This means that even if a street racer didn’t hit you, if they were proved to have caused the accident through their actions, then they could be held at fault.