It’s been more than a year now since we went into a lockdown and quarantine that took the majority of drivers off the road for an extended period of time. And while that obviously had an impact on the personal injury world, it also had the unintended impact of reducing car accidents and the chaos and heartache they cause. Even when things opened back up, the fact that schools were closed (or at least operating on a hybrid schedule) kept some traffic off the roads and we have still not seen that returned to normal.

However, the general consensus and expectation is that things will start to change in the coming weeks and months. First, with the number of vaccinated people increasing, more of us are feeling more comfortable venturing out and returning to some sense of normalcy. That includes more people going into the office or other places of employment rather than working remotely. Second, with summer approaching, I think a lot of people will also want to take a proper summer vacation (that was denied to them last summer) and for many in Maryland, that involves driving, especially to Ocean City and beaches in Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia.

And third, I also think that come the fall, schools will be 100% in person which will have the most substantial impact. Not only will the majority of people be fully vaccinated by then, but all those who have been forced to work from home to be home with their children will now be able to go into work as well. That along with the school traffic itself will see things get back as close to normal as we’ve seen since March of last year.

So just a word of caution to all of our clients and avid readers. As the traffic increases and traffic patterns return to usual, please keep in mind that, like any skill, peoples’ driving skills have probably atrophied over the last year. Reflexes may be a little slower and basic habits may take time to come back, especially for those who may not have driven consistently for the last year.

Be patient and considerate and above all else, please be careful and safe.