Nationwide traffic deaths drop slightly in 2018

According to the estimate of the National Safety Council, an organization which advocates for public safety, the number of traffic deaths on the nation’s roads dropped ever so slightly when comparing 2018 to the previous year, 2017.

Specifically, the past year saw a drop of just over 230 fatalities due to personal injuries due to car accidents and other traffic accidents. In terms of a percentages, this was a modest drop of about 1 percent from 2017’s figures.

Although the decline in fatalities is certainly something to be grateful for, the news was not all rosy. For one, for the third consecutive year, the number of traffic-related deaths nationwide exceeded 40,000. Moreover, despite the decline, the number of traffic deaths in 2018 was still almost 15 percent higher than where the figure was just 4 years ago.

Those who are familiar with this recent study pointed out that the number of fatalities remains high even though safety technology in vehicles is getting more and more popular and sophisticated.

No one is denying that advanced technology in vehicles, like warnings and automatic breaking, can be helpful. However, perhaps because this technology is still to some extent catching on in the broader market, it does not seem to be doing a lot to reduce the number of crashes and, by logical extension, the number of fatalities.

Interestingly, the preliminary indication is that deaths related to texting and driving, intoxication and speeding all decreased over this period of time, despite the fact that overall fatalities only dropped slightly. On the other hand, it seemed that incidents involving dangerous combinations of drugs, including marijuana, and alcohol were responsible for pulling the number of fatalities in the other direction.

Those in the Charlotte area who have to endure the loss of a loved one to a traffic option may have legal options for pursuing compensation from the responsible driver.