Last year, the number of traffic fatality victims hit the lowest level since 1949 despite the increase in miles traveled by Americans, announced U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. We’ve been fortunate enough to see a 17 percent decrease in Texas car accidents over the last two years, but officials encourage drivers not to let their guards down just yet.
Our Dallas personal injury lawyers understand that despite the recent drop in car accident fatalities, were still not in the clear. The National safety Council reports that data from the fourth-quarter of 2010 illustrated an increase in accident fatalities.
“As encouraging as it is to see fatalities decreasing on our nation’s roads, the 2010 rate of decrease is less than a third of the previous year’s decrease,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “We must remain vigilant in addressing roadway safety issues where the greatest impact can be made, such as distracted and teen driving. As miles traveled start to rise again from recession lows, we want to ensure the continuance of this downward trend.”
It’s estimated by the NHTSA that roughly 33,000 people died from motor vehicle accidents last year. While car accidents fatalities have been declining for the last five years, marking a 25 percent decrease since 2005, officials still worry as some regions of the U.S. may not be so fortunate.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Texas and surrounding areas experienced a 6.8 percent decrease in traffic accidents from 2009 to 2010. Other areas, such as the Northeast region of the United States, experienced increased accident rates as high as 18 percent.
“The decrease in traffic fatalities is a good sign, but we are always working to save lives,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “NHTSA will continue pressing forward on all of our safety initiatives to make sure our roads are as safe as they can possibly be.”
The NHTSA will continue to promote strong traffic safety laws and enforce high-visibility law enforcement through awareness campaigns and vehicle safety programs. The agency is focusing on decreasing the occurrence of distracted driving, drunk driving and aggressive driving in addition to campaigning for better vehicle safety. The agency continues to urge car manufacturers to keep the public informed of safety defects and to develop more efficient crash prevention systems. They’re continuous advocates for forward collision warnings, lane departure warning systems and electronic stability control.
As the number of car accident fatalities remain at an all-time low, last year’s increase in fatality reports suggest the risk will likely continue to increase as the economy improves. While the NHTSA reports increasing fatality rates in the last two-quarters of last year, the National Safety Councilreports an increase only in the fourth-quarter.
Regardless, officials point to the recession as a contributing factor to these statistics. Previous traffic data mirrors the fluctuations we are currently experiencing. As the economy fails, traffic accidents decline as well. The late year rise in the economy was also evident in the slight rise in car accidents.
With all these attempts at making our roadways safer, the majority of the responsibility still relies on drivers. We recommend that everyone practice safe and cautious driving habits to help keep our streets safer for every motorist on the road.
In you or a loved one have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, contact the Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer Mike Goolsby of The Goolsby Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation. Call (972) 492-8758.
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