Nationwide Effort to Improve Driving Safety Begins in Texas
After car accident fatalities jumped 9.3% in the first nine months of 2015, safety officials are working to improve driver behavior in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, as well as the rest of the nation.
Mark Rosekind, an administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), along with 300 others, are spear-heading a series of regional summits held throughout the U.S. to promote safe driving, especially in Texas, which is one of the last states that has not made texting while driving illegal (although many Texas cities have texting and driving laws).
“We have actually cut fatalities 50 percent since 2000, but if (the more recent trend) continues, we will have lost half our progress. So we’ve got to do something,” Rosekind said.
According NHTSA statistics, the first nine months of 2015 resulted in 26,000 vehicle accident deaths across the United States, which was 9.3% higher than during the same time period in 2014.
The main focus is alcohol impairment and the use of electronics while driving, which are two of the leading causes of fatal car accidents. Both of these causes, however, are attributed to human error (a factor that leads to 94% of all crashes), as Rosekind states: ”It’s an error. You were looking the wrong way or chose not to use a seat belt or chose to drive after having something to drink.”
The effort to improving driving safety also includes expanding vehicle safety—or at least the NHTSA is working hard make that happen. Their ultimate goal is to offer safety features, such as backup cameras and emergency braking as standard equipment for all vehicles. This, coupled with stricter laws against driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, should help prevent many fatal accidents.
Category: In The News
