Reports have now shown an increase in fatal accidents for roughly the last three years in a row. Prior to that, the overall trend had been a yearly decline in fatalities, making people feel that the roads were slowly getting safer. But then things reversed course over the last few years, and the fatality rates have been trending up again.
This is confusing on a few different levels. First and foremost, due to the events of these years, there were much lower traffic levels for significant periods of time. Some experts believed that the decline in traffic levels would lead to a decline in accidents and a decline in fatalities. But the reality is that the rate at which fatalities happened just got to be more daunting, even though there were not nearly as many drivers on the road. Why did this happen?
Driving mistakes and risky behaviors
It doesn’t appear that cars are the problem, as they have actually been getting safer. New auto technology can help to prevent accidents and reduce the chances of fatalities.
Instead, the issue appears to be with the drivers themselves. They’re simply taking risks more often than they were before. For instance, drivers are more often distracted, they will drive without their seatbelts and they engage in more reckless driving practices. Things like drunk driving or impaired driving are also very common.
Traffic levels may still be connected to this change. For example, because traffic levels went down, that meant there was less general traffic congestion. This allowed people to drive faster, leading to an overall increase in speed. That speed is what caused more fatal accidents in many situations.
Have you lost a loved one?
Regardless of the reasons, it’s clear that the roads are getting more dangerous. If you have lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries, you need to know how to seek the financial compensation your family needs.