Every year, car manufacturers unveil their newest designs, each boasting their latest features and accolades. Car safety has come a long way in the United States since the production of the first cars, and it continues to improve. Despite this, the number of car related deaths continues to rise. From 2020 to 2021, the number of fatalities increased by 10.5%, the highest rate of change since 2005. The trend is still continuing as the year progresses. This article explains why this is the case.
Contact our experienced personal injury attorneys at (702) 388-1216 if you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle accident.
Vehicles Have Changed
In the past century, vehicles and the technology inside them have changed a lot. Of these changes, the weight of vehicles has been one of the more significant contributors to the increase in death rates. It has been found that a heavier vehicle is more likely to kill pedestrians and cause more damage in an accident. This is pretty intuitive. In addition to that, automobiles are now also larger than ever. As a result of this increase in size, drivers have more blind spots and rely heavily on technology to be alerted to hazards. The Institute for Highway Safety indicates that larger vehicles, such as SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and minivans, are much more likely to strike pedestrians and cause fatal accidents than smaller vehicles.
Driver Are More Reckless
Along with changes in car size and weight, driver behavior also contributes to the increased car accident fatality rates. During the pandemic, Americans drove less than ever, but as restrictions eased, more and more people took to the roads. Within a year of lockdown, the fatality rate was significantly higher than it had been before. According to experts, this was due to an increase in reckless/careless driving. Unfortunately, this trend is continuing into 2022. The experts suggest standardizing car safety technologies, lowering speed limits in urban centers, and improving pedestrian infrastructure to combat this.
Infrastructure That Favors Cars
The majority of American cities are constructed around automobiles rather than people. Consequently, walking, biking, and using other modes of transportation in urban areas can be a challenge. This problem has been recognized by cities across the country and efforts are being made to raise driver awareness in more populated areas. The best way to achieve this is to change our infrastructure so that it is more pedestrian-focused. Actions that we can take include installing speed bumps, narrowing lanes, lowering speed limits, and improving public transportation so the streets are less congested. In order to create a safer environment for future generations, we need to continue addressing city, road, and vehicle safety issues.
We Can Help
We offer experienced car accident lawyers to assist you if you’ve been injured in an accident. Our personal injury lawyers have helped hundreds of car accident victims so far. To contact us, please call (702) 388-1216.