Motor vehicle crashes take thousands of lives every year, leaving millions of other people injured and maimed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that motor vehicle accidents claim more than 32,000 lives in the U.S. every year, with an additional two million injured.
To address these issues, the CDC has come out with a number of recommendations to help stop or even reverse these statistics altogether. Here are some of them.
Use the seatbelt on every trip
The CDC has reported that more than half of teens (13-19 years) and young adults (20-24 years) killed in motor vehicle accidents were not wearing seatbelts when they crashed. We have known for decades that the best way to prevent injuries from a car crash is to wear a seatbelt.
Children should be buckled up properly
Seatbelts are absolutely essential to child safety. Despite this, many parents fail to restrain their children in seatbelts before driving, especially on short trips. Childen should be strapped in proper booster seats, car seats, and seatbelts according to their age and size. Buckle up your child on every drive, every time. Buckling up should be automatic and not a punishment to avoid if the child is well-behaved during a ride.
Do not drink and drive
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your central nervous system, leading to temporary impairment of reaction time and loss of coordination. It is estimated that drunk driving claims the life of at least 28 people in the U.S. every day. The total dollar amount lost to alcohol-related accidents in the U.S. each year is more than $44 billion. So avoid drinking at all costs before you drive. Your life, and the lives of those around you, is at stake.
Learn about your state’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) requirement
The U.S. does not have a common GDL law. However, all 50 U.S. states, including California, have a three-step GDL system. Research has shown that states with a strong GDL system saw larger reductions in teen driver deaths compared to states that don’t have a strong law. Parents can help enforce safe driving habits by using parent-teen agreements.
These are just a few steps to avoid motor vehicle crashes. However, reducing motor vehicle crashes requires a holistic approach, involving the federal government, the state, employers, parents, and all drivers.
If you or someone you love was injured in a crash in California, contact the Alexander Law Group, LLP today at 888.777.1776. We are a nationally-recognized and award-winning personal injury law firm with offices in San Jose and San Francisco.
