A recently released study that analyzed government crash data exposes large discrepancies in road safety with a state-to-state comparison. The results were sobering and the stretches of road that pose the greatest risk to drivers and passengers are in California and Texas.
The roads in Texas were the clear leaders with 4,498 highway deaths in 2021. This earned Texas the designation for being the most perilous state for highway travel by Consumer Affairs. 4,068 fatal crashes occurred on the 79,000 miles of highway in the Lone Star State in a single year. California was a close second with 4,285 motor vehicle fatalities in 2021. The California totals were an increase of 7.6% over 2020!
Rhode Island earned the distinction of “safest state for motorists.” Rhode Island is the smallest state in the Union and they recorded just 63 highway fatalities in 2021. This total reflects a focus on stringent road safety laws such as a lower blood alcohol content (BAC) limit of 0.05% for drivers compared to the standard 0.08%. Safety experts believe that these stricter laws regarding impaired and inexperienced drivers make an impact on safety. Massachusetts has the second lowest death rate per capita, while the tighter speed limits in Vermont are credited for its comparatively low levels of high-speed collisions.
Another factor in the severity of crashes is whether those involved were wearing proper safety restraints. Mississippi, which allows residents to acquire a driver’s license without taking a road test, has one of the lowest rates of seat belt usage in the nation. As a result, Mississippi residents are twice as likely to die in an auto accident compared to the average American. The study revealed that Mississippi has the highest number of fatal car accidents per population, with a death rate of 22.2 deaths per 100,000 people.
A school bus crash with fatalities in Texas serves as evidence that even cautious drivers are not immune to risks on the highway. When a truck driver who had not undergone proper background checks by his employer collided with the bus on the Highway 21 which caused it to roll over. The bus was carrying 44 elementary students and 11 adults back from a field trip. One adult and one child lost their lives in the tragic accident, a somber reminder of the preciousness and precariousness of life.
Experts have called for several key policy changes at the state level. These include stricter licensing requirements for new drivers, more robust seat belt laws, and harsher penalties for repeat offenders caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Improved infrastructure is also essential and these improvements include repairing aging roads and bridges, installing more median barriers, rumble strips, and other safety features designed to reduce the risk and severity of crashes, widening highways, straightening hairpin turns, and separating oncoming lanes of traffic can also make a significant dent in the death toll.
According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, with around 2,800 teens aged 13–19 killed and 227,000 injured in 2020 alone. This resulted in an estimated $40.7 billion in medical and work loss costs. The risk of motor vehicle crashes is highest among teens aged 16–19, especially males, newly licensed drivers, and those driving with other teen passengers. These factors include;
- Inexperience and poor judgment/decision-making skills
- Night and weekend driving
- Lack of seatbelt use
- Distracted driving, especially from cell phone use
- Speeding and following too closely
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs like marijuana
To reduce teen crash injuries and deaths, the CDC recommends:
- Seatbelt laws with primary enforcement
- Raise the minimum legal drinking age and pass zero-tolerance laws
- Graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems to give teens more practice
- Parental monitoring and involvement, including setting rules and using in-vehicle monitoring devices
- Choosing vehicles with advanced safety features
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com We would be honored to represent you!
