Deadly car accidents are an accepted fact of life in the US. Tens of thousands of people die every year in preventable car and truck crashes. The numbers go up or down yearly, with relatively little attention paid.
Whatever year you pick, however, you will find that the US death rate in motor vehicle accidents is higher than in other wealthy nations. In fact, the US rate is generally more than double the average among similar nations.
Many factors go into this, but one is that American drivers accept a high death rate as normal. We don’t insist on better accountability from drivers or more action from law enforcement. The high death rate is abnormal, but do Americans realize it?
One Problem Among Many
It probably shouldn’t be a surprise that we have a high rate of car and truck accident deaths. Our mortality rates are higher than in other countries. This is due to many reasons, including our complicated healthcare system and dangerous roads lacking upkeep across the country.
However, the high rate of fatal car accidents should not be a source of debate. Virtually every American life relies on ground transportation in one way or another. If you don’t drive, there’s a good chance your food does before it arrives on your table.
Road safety impacts your life to some degree in almost every case. That’s why it should be prioritized.
Driver Behavior, Traffic Laws, Road Design, and More
The causes of individual accidents are many and varied. The vast majority of fatal accidents are caused by driver error. People driving too fast for the conditions is a common element. Aggressive driving behaviors like tailgating, weaving and illegal passing are also a problem. Inattentive driving is harder to pinpoint, but it may be the largest contributing factor.
We tolerate and engage in unsafe driving practices regularly. Perhaps we ignore the problem because we all know that we’ve broken the rules at one time or another. Still, the overall cost of all the individual transgressions is more than we should tolerate.
Having twice as many vehicle deaths as other countries is not okay. You take a different view when you work with the people whose lives have been destroyed in these crashes.
Call to Discuss Your Case Today
The Fell Law Firm has extensive experience protecting the victims of serious car accidents. If you or a loved one has been in an accident, call us at 972-450-1418 to discuss what we can do for you.
