01841452

Component

https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221089936

To prevent the pandemic spread of human-to-human transmitted diseases such as COVID-19, governments commonly resort to countrywide or regional lockdown strategies. Such lockdowns, whenever and wherever implemented, curtail the movement of persons and vehicles, and drastically alter traffic conditions. This study focuses on the effect of drastic and sudden changes in the traffic conditions, during the COVID-19 lockdown in the State of Maharashtra in India, in March–June 2020, on the numbers of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), and the resultant fatalities and injuries. Content analysis of police-reported first information reports (FIRs) of MVAs is performed, and these lockdown trends are compared with archival data from corresponding previous (normal) periods. The statistical analysis shows that, during the lockdown, while the total number of MVAs fall drastically, they are more severe and have a much higher fatality rate per MVA. Also, the pattern of vehicles involved in MVAs, and resultant pattern of fatalities, also changes during lockdowns. The paper explores the reasons for these changed patterns and provides suggestions to reduce these negative externalities of pandemic related lockdowns.

Atul Arun Pathak https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0605-7588© National Academy of Sciences: Transportation Research Board 2022.

English

0000-0003-0605-7588

0000-0003-2644-274X

pp 503-516

2023-4

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Web

References (64)

COVID-19; Crash analysis; Highway safety; Statistical analysis; Travel behavior

Maharashtra (India)

Highways; Safety and Human Factors

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Apr 4 2022 3:04PM