Car accident attorneys in Louisville know that car accident prevention campaigns have had a significant impact on reducing the number of auto accidents in the past several decades. Now, law enforcement agencies from 30 states have met in Louisville to work to find ways to make drivers safer across the country.
While much progress has been made in reducing some of the most dangerous behaviors including drunk driving, law enforcement are considering three persistent problems that continue to cause fatalities: speeding, impaired driving and a failure to buckle up. WHAS 11 reports the safety conference also included a discussion on texting while driving and on how the legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational use will affect traffic stops and driving safety.
Accident Reduction Campaigns Have Been a Success, But Drivers are Ultimately Responsible for Their Own Behaviors
In 1949, there were 30,000 car accident fatalities and there was a fatality rate of four deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled over the course of the year. The peak in car accident fatalities, however, occurred in 1970 when there were over 50,000 deaths. The fatality rate during this dangerous time exceeded seven deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
By 2010, however, the NHTSA indicates that the fatality rate fell to a historic low of just over one death per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. As the overall death rate has declined, the number of non-occupants and pedestrians killed in auto accidents has also experienced dramatic decreases. From 1975 to 2009, the death rate for non-occupants declined by just over 60 percent.
Traffic Deaths
