I don’t want to keep writing these blogs about how dangerous American roads have become since Covid pandemic restrictions have relaxed over the past year and a half. But…folks, it’s dangerous out there! To the extent that every time you venture onto our highways and byways you virtually take your life into your hands because, certainly, no one else is looking out for you. Daily, without exception, wherever I’m driving, I see risks via speeding, running stop lights, pulling out at intersections in front of right of way vehicles…the list goes on. But especially, if you’ll indulge my venting a bit, what grates my nerves is the rude shifting of lanes with little to no room to do so, as long as the offending vehicle signals so. For some reason, all traffic is duty-bound to slow or even stop at its own risk, as long as the driver signals. Have you also noticed that frightening trend!?
So, what do the latest traffic fatality statistics reveal? National Highway Traffic Safety data shows 42,000+ traffic deaths in 2021,a 10.5% leap over 2020 figure, the largest increase since statistics began to be kept by the NHTS in 1975. That 2021 data shows that 118 people died last year on American highways every day!
Why the increase? The NHTS opines “such behavior as speeding, driving while impaired by alcohol and drugs, and distracted driving, as well as ‘roads designed for speed instead of safety.’”
Please be careful at all times while in your car. I struggle with maximizing my time, which means I often find myself hurrying to my next appointment, which can bring disaster in today’s climate of anger and speeding and road rage (BTW: I’m working on correcting this dangerous tendency of mine).
As always, if you are injured by another careless driver, please don’t hesitate to call us for a free consultation to learn about your rights and remedies. We’ll work hard to help you get your life back.
Because you truly matter to us.
