According to recent statistics, someone dies in a car accident in Port St. Lucie and elsewhere every hour of every day. If you’re one of the lucky ones who survives an accident, the cost can be just as stunning as this statistic. According to CBS News, car accidents across the U.S. cost about $300 billion every year.
“Traffic crashes really need to be moved to the forefront of the American discussion as the public safety (and) health threat that they are,” says AAA spokesman Troy Green.
Our Port St. Lucie car accident attorneys understand that you can end up shelling out thousands of dollars for one of these accidents if you’re not careful. According to AAA, each traffic accident-related death costs on average about $6 million. This includes emergency services, lost earnings and medical costs. It is estimated that about 33,000 people die on our roadways every year. The cost for a traffic accident-related injury averages more than $125,000.
To equal those same costs, a small aircraft would have to fall from the sky every day for about 360 days. As unacceptable as that would be, these car accidents seem all too normal. Our society has become numb to these stunning accident statistics. It’s as almost as if accidents have become a part of everyday life.
To help reduce the number of vehicle accidents, manufacturers are coming up with some pretty neat safety features, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This technology can improve a vehicle’s stability as it knows when to apply the brake during a skid incident. Some research concludes that if more vehicles had this technology, then nearly 10,000 lives could be saved on our roadways.
Another cool safety feature, which is still being developed, is short-range sensors, which are designed to warn a driver when an accident is about to happen. In these cases, the vehicle would activate seat restraints and airbags.
Since drivers apparently are not going to change their driving habits to make roadways safer, manufacturers are hoping to do the work for them by making cars electronically smarter and safer.
Officials aren’t giving up though. More and more states are creating laws to help stop dangerous driving behaviors, such as drunk driving, speeding and distracted driving. Now, 35 states prohibit drivers from texting at the wheel.
As of right now, AAA is looking into creating a federal bill to keep drivers focused on the road. But until this auto group is able to get Congress’s attention, the bill sits in the waiting line.
“We’re hoping that by putting a dollar amount to it, people will pay a little more attention to the fact that even if they’re not in a crash, they are still paying for them,” said AAA spokeswoman Beth Mosher.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Lake Worth, Hollywood, Sunrise, St. Lucie or the surrounding areas, contact a personal injury lawyer at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC. Call 1-800-561-7777 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney today.
Additional Resources:
Car crashes cost U.S. $300B a year: AAA, by Mark Strassmann, CBS News
More Blog Entries:
FHP Uses Operation Safe Driver Campaign to Help Reduce Bus and Truck Accidents in Tamarac and Elsewhere, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, October 16, 2011
AAA Addresses Elderly Drivers’ Increased Risks for Car Accidents in Pompano Beach and Elsewhere, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, October 6, 2011