Remember back in 2020 when traffic was non-existent on the roads and it felt a lot less stressful to drive around? Yeah, I miss that too.

But, since after the whole COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted, we've sadly noticed a pretty concerning rise in the number of crashes happening on the roads in Michigan.

broken black car on road in winter; crash accident; crumpled hood
Paha_L
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And the injuries are bad as well as the damage caused, but even if you're not involved in a crash all of these problems could also be causing your auto insurance rates to climb to some all time highs.

You won't believe the latest info from the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center – they've just released some new numbers that show Michigan's been grappling with a surge in crash-related stats.

MSP on Twitter
MSP on Twitter
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Last year alone Michiganders saw a 4 percent uptick in overall crashes. But here's a stat that's a little more upsetting and alarming- there was a 28 percent uptick in crashes in work zones, which should be some of the safest places on the roadway. Even scarier, deadly work zone crashes jumped by 15 percent.

Meanwhile, deadly motorcycle crashes were also up, with Michigan seeing a 4 percent increase since pre-COVID times.

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Aleksandar Kamasi
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When you tally it all up, a staggering 1,100 Michiganders lost their lives due to traffic crashes in 2022, which is a heartbreaking 15 rise from 2018.

All of this leads to a strain on auto insurance providers, who now say we can expect to see our rates rising in the upcoming year to offset the cost of these accidents. This is extra disappointing since Michigan has some of the most expensive auto insurance rates in the nation.

Sergey Kolesnikov/ Thinkstock
Sergey Kolesnikov/ Thinkstock
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How can we fix this? It's simple- pay attention and take your time when you hit the roads. Now that the new distracted driving laws have passed, experts hope this trend reverses itself, but it's still going to take all of us working together to resolve this problem.

Also, take the keys from your buddy who thinks it's cool to drink and drive. It may be harmless "because he's good at it", but these preventable accidents cost all of us, even if we are following all of the rules.

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