Traffic down, reckless driving up

Streets since coronavirus

THERE'S BEEN A SPIKE IN SINGLEVEHICLE WRECKS IN TUCSON.THAT'S ACCORDING TO TUCSONPOLICE.

NOW AS NINE ON YOURSIDE'S CRAIG SMITH REPORTS --POLICE MAY RAISE THEIR PROFILETO LOWER YOUR SPEED.CRAIG: WITH MORE PEOPLESTAYING HOME THERE ARE FEWERDRIVERS ON THE STREETS.

BUTPOLICE SAY DRIVERS ARE ABUSINGTHE EXTRA SPACE.

THEY'REDRIVING AGGRESSIVELY,SPEEDING, AND CRASHING.

SINCETHE SHUTDOWN, TUCSON POLICEARE SEEING A 40 PERCENT JUMPIN ONE VEHICLE WRECKS.

THEYUSUALLY HAPPEN WHEN A DRIVER'SGOING SO FAST THEY LOSECONTROL---OFTEN, THEY DIE.1:06 SOMETIMES THERE'SALCOHOL, INTOXICANTS, DRUGS,THINGS OF THAT NATURE BUT ALITTLE UNCOMMON FOR US TO SEETHAT HIGH OF A PERCENTAGE OFSINGLE VEHICLE COLLISIONS,MEANING THAT IT'S JUST THEAGGRESSIVE DRIVING BEHAVIORAND LUCKILY THERE'S NO ONEELSE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT.1:22 RUNS :16 CAPTAIN DUFFYLEADS A CO- ORDINATED SAFETYEFFORT BETWEEN TUCSON POLICEAND THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATIONAND MOBILITY DEPARTMENT.

SHESAYS NOW POLICE ARECONSIDERING PUTTING A HIGHERPROFILE BACK ON THE STREETS.THERE IS GOOD NEWS ABOUTPEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS.

AFTERYEARS OF PEDESTRIAN DEATHSGOING UP, LATELY THEY'VELEVELED OFF---EVEN BEFORE THEVIRUS SHUTDOWN LEFT LESSTRAFFIC ON THE STREETS.

1:52WE HAD BEEN WORKING REALLYHARD IN CERTAIN AREAS,ESPECIALLY HIGH PEDESTRIAN ANDBICYCLE AREAS WITH HANDING OUTREFLECTIVE ITEMS, STOPPING ANDTALKING TO PEDESTRIANS WE'VEBEEN WORKING WITHTRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY TOPUT IN SOME ADDITIONALCROSSWALKS SAFETY ZONES,THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

2:08RUNS :16 AND SHE SAYS THECITY'S WORKING ON THINGS LIKESPEED BUMPS ON SMALL STREETSAND RUMBLE STRIPS ON BIG ONESTO GET DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN.CRAIG SMITH, KGUN9 ON YOURSIDETUCSON POLICE ARE A