This is the kind of good news that Kansas City Injury Lawyers like to hear. There has been a further drop in traffic fatalities as seen in numbers released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week. Traffic accident fatalities last year reached their lowest levels since 1949, and were a drop of 3% over 2009. There is no doubt that we are on the right track as far as highway safety is concerned, evidenced by the continuing decline in accident fatalities every year.
Last year, 32,788 people were killed in traffic accidents in the US. That is not only a decline of 3% from the previous year, but also a staggering 25% drop since 2005. All is not rosy, however. The 3% drop recorded in 2010 may not be so impressive when you consider that in 2009 and 2008, the decline was more than 9% each over the previous year. This indicates to Kansas City car accident attorneys that the progress being made towards reducing accident fatalities may have peaked.
Last year, statistics also put to rest the theory that the recession was responsible for lower numbers of traffic accident fatalities over the past three years. Last year, Americans traveled more numbers of vehicle miles, but were still involved in fewer vehicle accidents. That indicates that there are other reasons, and not just the bad economy, that are driving fatality rates down.
I strongly believe that the decline in accident fatalities rates has much to do with increased seat belt usage around the country. Seatbelt use is at record highs in many states, and even in Missouri, more people are buckling up whenever before. Besides, automobiles are much safer now, and come with enhanced safety features like electronic stability control, side-impact protection in the form of side airbags, forward collision warning systems and a range of other features that not only prevent accidents, but also increase a motorist’s chances of surviving an accident.
