By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

Rhode Island police chiefs are hoping that increased enforcement will help curb spiking traffic and pedestrian fatalities due in part to the coronavirus pandemic.

Figures released Thursday by the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association show 45 motor vehicle or motorcycle fatalities on Rhode Island roads during 2020, compared to 49 deaths in all of 2019, and 16 pedestrian fatalities compared to eight in all of 2019.

“This is concerning to law enforcement and should be concerning to citizens of Rhode Island,” said the Association’s President, Lincoln Police Chief Brian Sullivan. He said reckless driving, excessive speed, impaired and distracted driving are the three main reasons for motor vehicle fatalities.

Speeding, especially at the start of the pandemic in early 2020 when fewer vehicles were on the highways may have contributed to the higher rate of fatalities, officials agreed.

“It gives the appearance that we can go a little faster, and speed, we think is becoming a big issue in the cause of a lot of these fatalities,” said Peter Alviti, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Excessive speed contributes to more injuries and deaths, said Diana Gugliotta, Senior Manager of Public Affairs for AAA Northeast.

“Remember, just that five or ten miles an hour above the speed limit truly can make a difference between life and death,” Gugliotta said.

Increased enforcement by law enforcement has managed to curb speeding, said State Police Superintendent, Colonel James Manni.

“Oh, yeah, they’ve changed. We have more vehicles on the highway, we have a lot more enforcement out there now. And, although we still have vehicles that travel very fast, we’re not seeing the numbers like we saw in early spring,” Manni said.

Additional figures provided by the Police Chiefs’ Association indicated that of 32 motor vehicle-specific fatalities in 2020 through October 28, 17 of them, or 53% involved the driver not wearing a seat belt. Of 13 motorcycle fatalities during the same period, four, or 30% involved the driver not wearing a helmet.

Police said that during the upcoming holiday season, they are relying on three nationally-recognized law enforcement programs in the hopes of curbing fatalities. “Click It or Ticket” stresses the importance of using seat belts; “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” points out the dangers of impaired driving; and “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” focuses on the dangers of distracted driving, involving the use of handheld phones and other devices.