Riverside police say pandemic was contributing factor for record number of vehicle deaths in 2022

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- It's a disturbing trend that Riverside police have seen in recent years: a growing number of motor vehicle traffic fatalities.

Detectives say that many of the usual contributing factors can be blamed for these horrific collisions: distracted driving, excessive speed, drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

But they say there's another factor that many people might not have considered: the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We've seen fatality rates across the nation go up. We're not the only city that's seeing it," said Detective Ryan McHugh of the Riverside Police Department. "During COVID, a lot of enforcement went down because a lot of agencies were told to minimize contact with drivers because of the spread of COVID.

"Drivers weren't driving, they were staying home. So they picked up bad habits and there was no enforcement related to those bad driving habits. We noticed that trend in late 2020 and into 2021 when people were driving again that fatality collisions and collisions went up."

In the city of Riverside, investigators say 39 people died in 2022 in vehicle collisions. They say that's the highest number they've seen in a year since they've been keeping records.

"We all drive, and we all see it," said McHugh. "Drivers are heading way too fast."

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But perhaps the roads are getting safer.

So far in 2023, in Riverside there have been 22 fatalities caused by vehicle collisions, showing a substantial decrease from the prior year.

McHugh said not only is it likely because drivers are ridding themselves of many of those bad habits picked up during the pandemic, but police have increased their level of enforcement.

"We do get a lot of grant money from the state with regards to enforcement efforts; whether it's talking to people about the dangers of drunk driving, writing tickets for excessive speed or running a red light, or having DUI checkpoints and education programs.

"When enforcement goes up, collisions go down."