April 23, 2020—On Tuesday, the California Highway Patrol revealed that it had begun issuing an alarming number of citations for speeders traveling at more than 100 miles per hour, according to a report from The Drive.
During the one month period from March 19 (when stay-at-home orders went into effect in California) to April 19, the CHP claims that it wrote 2,439 tickets to drivers reaching triple-digit speeds, an 87 percent rise compared to the 1,335 during the same period in 2019.
One driver, in particular, according to the Los Angeles Times, was even arrested and charged with speeding, reckless driving, and driving without a license after an officer clocked his Chevrolet Camaro traveling at 165 mph.
An increase in speeders amid the COVID-19 pandemic isn't exclusive to California either. Data obtained from New York speed cameras, according to the report, notes an enlarged number of speeders captured on empty roads in the weeks following stay-at-home orders.
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