A note to recent beachgoers: driving is dangerous to your health during the coronavirus pandemic, says Irvine-based vehicle-tracking company Spireon Inc.
The company used the data collected from its vast network of devices embedded in vehicles, and found that many people disregarded stay-at home orders and went for a drive.
Approximately 10-14 days after each spike, the analysts saw a statistically correlated spike in reported COVID-19 cases at the state and national level. Spireon said the 10-14 day lag is consistent across the analyses the company performed, and correlates with virus incubation periods and test turnaround time.
“The correlation between more driving activity and new cases of the virus further substantiates the importance of social distancing,” said Spireon Chief Executive Kevin Weiss in presenting the results on April 23. “We want these findings to serve as an important public service announcement as we all strategize ways to reopen the economy safely.”
Viral Infections
Spireon said its data serves “as another indication that surges in public mobility can lead to an escalation of viral infections.”
Specifically, Spireon analyzed the activity of more than 8 billion data points nationwide from more than 3 million vehicles, starting March 1.
Key findings show:
• Significant reductions in reported COVID-19 cases resulted after dips of at least 40%-50% in driving activity at both the national and state level.
• Spikes in driving activity over the Easter weekend resulted in a spike in new COVID-19 cases later in April.
Shelter Orders
At the state level, an analysis of 1.1 million vehicles and 2.5 billion data points shows a significant increase in driving occurred immediately following the shelter-in-place orders in states such as California and Texas, due to people making last-minute trips to grocery stores and other essential retailers. Others taking a last-minute drive included students returning home and business people readying for the shutdown, Spireon said.
“We saw a spike of nearly 250% in national consumer driving on March 19, when it was announced that U.S. case count had soared 40% in just 24 hours, as consumers rushed to stores to prepare for shelter-in-place,” Spireon said.
Then about 10 to 14 days after the surge in driving, the number of reported COVID-19 cases also rose.
In Florida and Louisiana, spikes in driving during spring break yielded the same result. Nationwide, driving data reveals a significant uptick in driving over Easter weekend, from Friday, April 10 to Sunday, April 12, which has begun to reflect an increase of COVID-19 infections in the week that started April 20.
Mobility Infections
California and several other states are preparing to gradually reopen their economies and start heading back to normal, as they seek to keep coronavirus in check.
Founded in 2002, Spireon provides technology for vehicles to wirelessly give owners information including location and battery health. Its 4 million subscribers include consumers, auto lenders, car dealers, rental car agencies, and commercial fleet operators.
