Better training, safer cars, tougher laws: whatever cause you want to ascribe to the statistics, they're still staggering. Accident fatalities are at their lowest since 1954, when the Interstate Highway project was still two years away from becoming a reality.
Part of that is a drop in quarterly data that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has continued for almost four years, and which they say comes directly from more stringent seatbelt laws. However, crash test ratings for most vehicles as tested by the same agency could also play a role.
Still, more than 30,000 Americans lost their lives because of traffic accidents, a number that could be reduced according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He argues that the current initiatives to limit distracted driving would also benefit American motorists.
Cars have also gotten larger as the federal government has mandated more safety equipment like crumple zones so that the frame takes the brunt of any impact, as well as airbags for front seat occupants and seatbelts for all passengers. While some enthusiasts have bemoaned the resultant weight additions and added size, traffic experts point to seatbelt use and other choices as key to the reduction in fatal accidents. In fact, independent reports from USA Today and the Brookings Institute note that a reduction of 500 pounds in the average vehicle weight could lead to several thousand more deaths on an annual basis, and even more serious injuries.
Another factor is the amount of driver training required of new motorists before they are allowed to venture out on their own. Many states report that graduated license programs that limit the activities of teenagers in the first couple years of driving have limited accidents in that demographic, often the most unsafe drivers.
But education also plays a large role. As many governments seek to increase the penalties for aggressive, drunk and distracted driving, awareness programs and an increased focus on the threats that these behaviors create in driving school curricula has also played a role. Several state law enforcement agencies say that they have noted a decline in the number of violations by teenage drivers engaging in these behaviors after positive peer pressure programs were instituted and driver education programs were strengthened.
But it will take vigilance on the part of motorists to continue to limit the potential for devastating accidents. While cars are bigger, and in many cases safer than their counterparts of even a decade or two ago, the enthusiasts may be on to something. Safely cocooned in these larger vehicles, drivers may not be
as aware of road conditions because of the size of their vehicles. A refresher course at an
online traffic school could be one way to take advantage of new curriculum rules and help many motorists remember that while cars are safer, drivers can't give up their responsibility when they're on the road just because the cars don't shake and rattle like they used to.
