For the last handful of years, we had been seeing a steep decline in traffic-related fatalities. With vehicle safety ratings going up, it was no small wonder deaths were down. The advent of automated features such as automatic emergency braking, electronic stability control and lane-keeping support have greatly contributed to this reduction. If we are following the vehicle ahead too closely we hear a warning beep. If we can’t parallel park, our automated car can do it for us. But no matter how far our vehicles have come in safety, there is still room for human error.
To make sure you’re covered, do an auto insurance comparison with CoverHound today.
Dangerous Driving: The Statistics
Every time we’re in the car listening to the radio, we hear a traffic report warning us of what highways to avoid or where to expect a slowdown. And while we think of it as another accident on the road, it’s more than that— it’s human lives.
Auto accident fatalities increased 8 percentage points between 2014 and 2015. According to the National Safety Council, this is the biggest year-over-year percentage increase in the last 50 years. Why are accidents increasing when our vehicles are being built for safety? It’s us.
The top three causes of traffic accidents in the U.S. are:
Distracted Driving:
This includes texting, talking and eating behind the wheel. According to the driving school, Drivers, motorists who use a hand-held device are 4 times more likely to be involved in an auto collision than any other driver. In fact, any driver who texts and drives is 23 more times likely to get in an accident. Reaching for your cell phone puts your 1.4 more times at risk, talking on your cell phone puts you 1.3 more times at risk, and dialing the phone puts you 2.8 more times at risk. In 2014, over 3,000 people were killed and another 431,000 seriously injured in a distracted-driving accident. Automobile accidents took 38,000 lives in 2015, the highest number since 2008.
Distracted driving is 100 percent human error, and 100 percent avoidable. If you have a hard time not checking your phone, place it in the backseat where it can’t distract you.
Speeding: The more comfortable we are on the roadway, the more likely we are to speed. Driving above the speed limit ranks No.2 in the top causes of roadside deaths. As of 2006, speeding accounted for 31 percent of motor vehicle deaths, taking 14,000 American lives every year.
Driving Under the Influence: Drinking and driving has been one of the top causes of fatal accidents since we put horse to wagon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2014, nearly 10,000 people died in a drunk-driving accident. The CDC goes even further to report that 28 people die in a drinking and driving accident each day. If you’ve been enjoying a good party and need to get home, call a cab or an Uber, you won’t regret it.
Practicing safe driving doesn’t just protect you, it can even lower your car insurance premium.
To get the right policy that fits your needs visit CoverHound today.
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