Traffic Fatalities on the Rise

Recent data from the National Safety Council (NSC) has revealed some grim facts about traffic fatalities.

The data shows an increase in traffic deaths by 6 percent in 2016. This, when combined with the 14 percent increase in 2015, means that the number of traffic fatalities in the past two years has shown the  most dramatic increase since 1964.

Also, preliminary data from 2016 indicates that up to 40,000 people were killed on American roads last year. This increase means that 2016 was the most dangerous year in the past 9 years, since 2007. Nearly 4.6 million were injured on the nation’s roads, and the overall cost of motor vehicle accidents was a whopping $432 billion. In this post, our car accident attorney will discuss what these statistics mean and what is causing this spike in traffic fatalities.

Causes of growing crash rate

It is extremely important to understand what the reason behind this increase in traffic accidents and deaths is. Unfortunately, data indicates that driver actions are responsible for this spike. As many as 83 percent of the drivers surveyed by the NSC believe that driving is a safety concern. Moreover, 64 percent of the respondents confessed to feeling comfortable speeding, another 47 percent text while driving either manually or using voice apps, and 13 percent drive while under the influence of marijuana. Another 10 percent drive under the influence of alcohol.

The National Safety Council (NSC) also points that these driver actions, and the resulting incidents, are all preventable. Also, according to the NSC, the United States is behind other  developed countries when it comes to road deaths.

Solutions advised by the NSC

The NSC has recommended a number of solutions that should be implemented in order to reduce traffic accidents and deaths. They believe that if these solutions are implemented across the country, many vehicle accident deaths can be prevented. Some of these solutions are:

• Expanding the current texting while driving laws such as hands free texting
• Utilizing automated enforcement methods for catching speeding drivers
• Requiring ignition interlocks in vehicles for people found guilty of drunk driving
• Making seatbelt laws primary from secondary, and expanding their use to every passenger in the vehicle
• Manufacturing vehicles with safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive headlights, lane departure warnings, and monitoring of blind spots.
• Instituting comprehensive pedestrian safety programs
• Using a three tiered driver’s license system for new drivers less than 21 years of age