As more of the U.S. population becomes vaccinated against COVID-19 and public spaces begin to reopen, you may be wondering what to expect once you hit the road again, whether it’s a return to your daily commute or a long-awaited road trip to see loved ones. Like many parts of daily life, the coronavirus pandemic had an immediate, massive impact on when, how, and what people drive, which may lead to long-term changes in traffic, vehicles and driving experiences. Here are the major ways that driving has changed during the pandemic:
Less people on the road has led to fewer but more severe accidents.
In the early months of the pandemic, when the stay-at-home orders and shift to remote work began, a large percentage of people stopped driving, leading to fewer car accidents. The number of miles driven nationally plummeted nearly 46% by early April 20201; by December, 50% of vehicle owners continued to drive less.2
Yet, while the number of car accidents dropped dramatically, those accidents that did occur were more severe. With significantly lower traffic congestion, people were driving at higher speeds. Another factor is the size of vehicles people are driving; in the first seven months of 2020 alone, SUVs accounted for 50% of all new vehicle registrations.3With more large, heavy vehicles on the road moving at faster speeds, the trend of accidents getting worse isn’t all that surprising, but something drivers should be mindful of.
Not only are these conditions more dangerous for drivers; they are more expensive. Severe accidents lead to more extensive repairs and a higher likelihood that a vehicle will be declared a total loss. (A vehicle is a total loss when one of the following is true: the car cannot safely be repaired, the car’s damage meets your state’s criteria for total loss, or the repair costs would exceed the car’s estimated value.) When you’re out on the road, try to stay aware of your speed even if traffic is sparse, and be prepared to encounter other drivers who are speeding.
People who used to take public transit are choosing to drive during the pandemic.
While the percent of people commuting by car has always been significantly higher than those taking public transit in the U.S., the pandemic has deepened that gap even further. In a study by Continental on public mobility, 81% of U.S. respondents reported having changed their daily mobility habits during the pandemic, with 22% report traveling more often by car than before the pandemic.4 This trend will likely continue for the next several months amid lingering health concerns from coronavirus. So even though the pandemic has changed the way many people work and more companies are allowing employees to work from home, if those who do commute to the office continue to choose personal transportation rather than mass transit, it will not only increase traffic volume but likely continue to impact rising gas prices.
Be prepared to pay more at the pump.
With more people choosing to commute by car instead of public transit, and more people planning travel for their first vacations post-pandemic, gas prices are soaring back to pre-pandemic levels as demand for oil rises. A recent report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicted that gas prices will climb to a three-year high this summer, to an average of $2.78 per gallon in the next six months. Although that price is similar to what we paid in the years before COVID-19, it’s still a 34% jump from gas prices in 2020 and may catch many drivers off-guard if they haven’t filled their gas tank in a while.5
Drivers are becoming more interested in usage-based insurance.
With more people driving less often and working remote for the foreseeable future, many have started seeking new ways to save on their auto insurance and understand how it is priced. A growing percentage of customers are comfortable with their auto insurers using their driving data to inform pricing,6 or what is known as “usage-based insurance” (UBI) or “pay as you drive” insurance.
Here’s how UBI works: depending the age and type of vehicle you have, your car may be able to record things like the mileage, speed, and distance of your driving on an average day. Some insurers can collect that data from your vehicle with your consent and use that to personalize your auto insurance pricing – and the better driver you are, based on the applicable carrier’s criteria, the better the price. If you find yourself working from home more often than you did before the pandemic, UBI may be a cost-effective option.
Drivers are using digital tools to file insurance claims and seek repairs after an accident.
The necessity for social distancing had a major impact on how people interact with their auto insurer or local collision repair shop after an accident. Insurers used to send an adjuster to inspect a vehicle in-person after an accident and write an estimate for repair costs. These days, that entire process can be done from your smartphone, making it a COVID-safe experience for you and the adjuster: many insurers offer self-guided experiences through their mobile app that will allow you to snap photos of your damaged vehicle from the scene of the accident and upload any additional documentation securely. From there, the insurer uses a combination of computer and human analysis to review your photos and draft an estimate, which they can send to you via their app or an email.
Some collision repair shops offer similar digital experiences: you can start by searching for a collision repair shop near you via an online tool like Carwise, which lists profiles on over 22,000 collision repair shops nationwide. On Carwise you can review dozens of details on local shops, from their operating hours and location to real customer reviews, industry certifications, and photos of their work. Once you find a collision repair shop near you that meets your criteria, you may be able to schedule an appointment online or request a virtual estimate based on your photos of the damaged vehicle. Many shops are offering contactless drop-off and pick-ups as well and will update you about your repair status via text or email.
Daily life may not return to “normal” for a while, but as we rediscover familiar experiences like commuting to work for visiting family, we encourage you to be safe on the roads. If your car is in need of repairs, use Carwise’s shop finder tool to search your zip code for a customer-reviewed auto body or glass repair shop near you: http://carwise.com/auto-body-shops.
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Article sources:
1 – Bob Pishue, Transportation Analyst, INRIX. “COVID-19 Effect on Collisions on Interstates and Highways in the U.S.” Page 5, December 2020. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/travel_monitoring/tvt.cfm
2 – ENGINE CARAVAN. “Driving Change in Auto Insurance.” December 1, 2020. https://engine-insights.com/blog/driving-change-in-auto-insurance/
3 – Top Libby, IHS Markit. “New Vehicle Registrations Show Record Levels for SUVs.” www.aftermarketnews.com, October 8, 2020.
4 – Continental Press Release, 2020-12-09. “Increasing Importance of Private Transportation During the Pan- demic: Continental Mobility Study 2020.”
5 – Energy Information Administration, Short Term Energy Outlook: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/
6 – TransUnion. “COVID-19’s Impact on the Insurance Industry Will Continue Well into 2021.” December 17, 2020. http://www.transunion.com/business.