Every year, 37,000 people die in the United States in a road crash, according to the Association for Safe International Road Travel. When there is a car crash, drugs or alcohol are involved approximately 16% of the time. Not only is drunk driving a big cause of motor vehicle accidents, but now distracted driving is as well. At any moment of the day, an estimated 660,000 people in America are using an electronic device when they should be paying attention to the road. What can be done about this?
Better Education
A lot of people most at risk are the least aware until it happens to them. The younger a driver is, the more likely they are to be drunk driving, yet they are also the most likely to die in an accident. Worldwide, more than 50% of the world’s traffic fatalities happen to people aged 15 to 44. Thet dangers of distracted driving are even less well known, as this is a relatively new issue compared to drunk driving. It’s important that people learn clearly just how much danger they are in when they take their eye off the road even for a moment.
Strict Enforcement of the Law
Drunk driving and distracted driving are not small issues. Every year, many people die because of the carelessness and negligence of others, and far more are injured in catastrophic ways that will affect them for a lifetime. It’s important that society, the courts, and the police take drunk driving and distracted driving very seriously so that people will better appreciate the seriousness of their actions.
Personal Injury Suits
Another way to deter all kinds of negligence, from drunk driving and distracted driving to the kind of negligence that causes workplace injuries, is when victims call a personal injury attorney to help them file a suit. Many of these personal injury lawyers are able to settle out of court. In fact, nearly 96% of such cases are settled in the pretrial phase. These are having a real effect.
These measures are already having an effect. In 2015, 3.8% of drivers were using cell phones or other distracting electronics. In 2016 that had decreased to 3.3%. But we must not be satisfied until there is no more drunk driving; no more distracted driving; no more truck accidents due to negligent behavior. Too many people are injured and killed every year for us to ignore the seriousness of this problem.