Did not think of that angle.
But, but I think there is a solid argument that in the net, lockdowns resulted in an increase in deaths, and not a decrease. Therefore, if this is true, then "less automobile accidents" theory would not hold. (Also see bold text below)
Lockdowns ended more lives than saves:
There was a sharp decline in visits to emergency rooms and an increase in fatal heart attacks because patients didn’t receive prompt treatment. Many fewer people were screened for cancer. Social isolation contributed to excess deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The number of people killed last year in motor-vehicle accidents in the United States rose to the highest level in more than a decade, even though Americans did significantly less driving than in 2019. It was the steepest annual increase in the fatality rate per mile traveled in nearly a century, apparently due to more substance abuse and more high-speed driving on empty roads
Did not think of that angle.
But, but I think there is a solid argument that in the net, lockdowns resulted in an increase in deaths, and not a decrease. Therefore, if this is true, then "less automobile accidents" theory would not hold. (Also see bold text below)
Lockdowns ended more lives than saves:
There was a sharp decline in visits to emergency rooms and an increase in fatal heart attacks because patients didn’t receive prompt treatment. Many fewer people were screened for cancer. Social isolation contributed to excess deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The number of people killed last year in motor-vehicle accidents in the United States rose to the highest level in more than a decade, even though Americans did significantly less driving than in 2019. It was the steepest annual increase in the fatality rate per mile traveled in nearly a century, apparently due to more substance abuse and more high-speed driving on empty roads