To this day, traffic injuries remain to be the leading cause of death for Americans aged 3-36 years old. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as much as 5 million people sustain injuries that require hospital treatment.
The rate of traffic injuries and death is a world-wide phenomenon – according to the World Health Organization, traffic crashes injure or disable between 20 million and 50 million people annually.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), traffic injuries are usually caused by alcohol, speed, lack of safety belt use, and driver error. While the numbers are staggering, the above-mentioned factors are considered to be the most-preventable causes of motor vehicle accidents.
• Driving Under the Influence (DUI) – The potential for getting into a car accident increases exponentially after 0.05 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and as the BAC surges (at or above 0.15 percent), so does the of risk of dying in a crash or getting severely injured. In 2008, 24,175 people were estimated to have been fatally injured had a BAC at or above 0.08 percent. According to the IIHS, 8,104 could have been prevented if BACs were below 0.08 percent.
• Driving Beyond the Reasonable Speed – In 2008, 11,674 people were killed in speeding-related crashes. It is a factor for 31 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths, 19 percent of traffic injuries, and 16 percent of property-damage. The risk of death and severe injury is a direct exponential function of speed. Increased speed would usually entail a more severe crash. Also, the greater the speed or when it reaches too high, even the car’s safety features like the airbags and safety belts will not be able to prevent the occupants from getting severely injured.
• Seat Belt Use – When safety belts are properly used, it can drastically reduce the number of severe traffic injuries by as much as 50 percent and fatalities by 60-70 percent. Seat belts are the most effective safety device in cars today and are estimated to save 9,500 lives each year.
• Driver Error/Behavior – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve driver distraction. Aside from driving while texting or using the phone and drowsy driving, here are some of dangerous driver distractions:
- Applying make-up or brushing your hair and looking into a mirror while driving.
- Reading a text message, the newspaper or a map while driving.
- Eating or smoking in the car
- Chatting with passengers or flipping through the radio
Under the law, if you caused an accident because of any of the above-mentioned factor, you will likely be held liable for any traffic injuries or death you may have caused. On the other hand, if you were involved in a crash and the other driver was either drunk, distracted or speeding, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against him to recover any loss or expense you experienced because of the traffic accident.
