In the last decade, more safety equipment has been added to new cars than ever before. With this boost in safety equipment it would stand to reason that fatal car accidents should be on the decline. Unfortunately, this is not true. Not only are they on the rise, but there is reason to believe that the very cause of the rise may be the innovations mean to prevent car accidents.
A look at the fatal car accident statistics
First, let us look at the specifics of these cases. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies the numbers and found that between 2015 and 2014 there was an increase in traffic fatalities of more than 7%. This is the largest spike they have recovered in 50 years. The total number of traffic deaths in 2015 exceed 35,000 people.
Note that this number does not just include people who died in car accidents. It also includes other vehicles like motorcycles and trucks, and it includes pedestrian deaths. There is no question that the numbers are much higher than they should be.
What is the cause of this jump in fatal car accidents?
The NHTSA did not come out and say there is one reason for the increase in fatal car accidents. However, they did not point to the fact that fuel prices have gone down, which leads to more cars on the roads, and that job growth has also been up, which further increases people on the roads. The behavior of drivers has always been one of the main causes of car accidents, and includes not wearing seat belts, driving drunk, and careless driving.
However, those bad behaviors have always been present so they cannot be blamed with the increase in fatal car accidents. What can? At The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker we believe there is plenty of evidence that innovations in vehicle technology are at least partially to blame. For example, blind sport warning systems and auto braking are made to make us safer but they are also distracting.
The vast majority of Americans now have a smartphone and too many of them use said phone while driving, whether to make a phone call, check their social media, or text with someone. Recent stories have involved drivers actually filming themselves while driving down the road. It would be hard to argue that these behaviors have not increased the number of accidents and thus the number of fatal accidents.
You can control your own behavior
Many people feel helpless against these changes. The truth is that there is only one thing you can do: Take care of your own behavior. Pay attention when you are driving. Do not use social media. Do not rely on technology alone to protect you in an accident. If you are involved in an accident, contact a personal injury attorney right away at 800-333-0000.
