New York Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that traffic deaths decreased to an all time low in 2010, in which 32,788 people were killed in auto crashes, a 3 % decrease from 2009. The drop in fatalities was surprising in light of the fact that there was an estimated increase of 20.5 billion miles driven in 2010.
There was also a decrease in the fatality rate, (calculated as deaths per 100 million miles driven) from 1.13 in ’09 to 1.09 in 2010, the smallest fatality rate since the U.S. began recording this information in 1949. Traffic deaths have also dropped a full 25% since 2005, but the NHTSA has not yet determined the explanation for the significant decrease. What makes the drop so surprising is that distracted driving certainly seems to be on the increase, due to the huge increase in motorists testing while driving, speaking on their cell phones, adjusting GPS devices and attempting to multi-task in our increasingly fast moving society.
Without question, safer cars and more prevalent use of seat belts and the increase in the manufacture of cars with front and side air bags is certainly a factor in the drop.
Contact The Westchester County Car Crash Attorneys online or toll free at 888-761-7633 for a free consultation with an experienced trial attorney who will fight the insurance companies to maximize your compensation if you or a loved one is injured in a serious car accident, truck or bus accident, motorcycle crash or other type of accident.