Louisiana motorists may not realize that the riskiest thing they do on a regular basis is driving a car. In fact, statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that motor vehicle travel is 300 times deadlier than commercial air travel.
So, how can Americans make car travel safer? One way is by changing driver behavior. Even small changes can make a significant statistical difference. For instance, if someone chose to live just one mile closer to work, they would drive around 500 fewer miles each year. According to NHTSA data, this tiny change could reduce an individual’s risk of dying in a car crash from one in 30,400 to one in 36,500. If all Americans reduced their work commute by two miles per day, the lives of hundreds of people would be saved every year on that statistical basis.
Technology could make a much bigger impact on auto safety. The NHTSA estimates that technology has saved an average of 11,575 lives per year since seat belts became available in 1960. As technologies have improved, fatalities have decreased. In 2012, safety technology is estimated to have saved around 27,600 lives. Experts believe the advent of self-driving cars could save even more lives. Conservative estimates state that car crash fatality rates could be cut in half by the new technology. Such a reduction would not only spare thousands of families needless heartbreak every year, but it would save U.S. households an average of $1,500 a year in car insurance premiums.
Car collisions cause thousands of serious injuries each year. People who are injured in a car crash caused by the negligence of another motorist may benefit by speaking with a lawyer in order to see if it would be advisable to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver seeking compensation for the damages that have been sustained.
