The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Feb. 5, 2016, that the first nine months of 2015 have shown a 9.3 percent increase in traffic fatalities.
The announcement came at a summit in Sacramento, California, which was the first of a planned series of regional summits that will examine unsafe driver behavior and the choices that contribute to the increasing amount of traffic fatalities on a national scale. Decades of NHTSA research have determined that human factors contribute to 94 percent of automobile accidents.
About 356 of the overall traffic related deaths examined at the summit took place in Indiana, a 23 percent increase for the state and the most deaths in a six month period over the last three years. The primary causes of accidents haven’t changed:
- Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
- Speeding
- Failure to properly utilize safety features like seat belts
- Driving while distracted
The NHTSA speculates that that lower gasoline prices in 2015 made it more affordable for a larger number of drivers to be on the road, increasing the chances for accidents in general. This theory is supported by the fact that at the onset of the recession in Indiana in 2009, the state experienced an 80 year low in traffic-related fatalities.
While the NHTSA summits will be aimed at developing new initiatives to keep drivers, cyclists and pedestrians safer on the road, accidents may always be the risk of getting behind the wheel.
The experienced South Bend car accident lawyers at Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak are experienced and professional, offering free consultations and charging fees only if you collect.
If you have experienced pain, distress, property damage or more in an accident, our personal injury lawyers are here to help you seek compensation. Contact us for a free consultation today.
Call (574) 444-0741 for help with your claim.
