Traffic volume has stayed fairly steady and normal on roads and highways, other than very early in the pandemic. And Grass Valley CHP Office Commander, George Stephenson, says there’s been an uptick in the number of accidents in their Nevada County jurisdiction. It was 742 as of Thursday, compared to around 800 all of last year…

As for fatal accidents, Stephenson says officers have responded to three on unincorporated roads, two each on Highways 49 and 20, one on Highway 174, and three on private properties. He says seven were linked to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. But one recent one was related to bad tires…

Stephenson says they try to flag drivers whose tires appear to be hazardous.