Over the past few years, experts have been concerned to see that fatal car accidents are increasing in frequency. Although accident trends always move up and down to some degree, there has been an overall decline since the 1970s. As such, recently seeing accident fatality rates increase shows that the roads may be growing more hazardous.
But what would cause this change? A big part of the reason for the decline in fatalities starting in the 1970s was when safety systems were created, such as seatbelts, airbags, crumple zones and much more. Cars have just gotten safer and prevented many deadly crashes, so why have things turned around in recent years?
Changes in driving behaviors
The way that people drive is changing. For one thing, the invention of the smartphone has led to an increase in distracted driving. Distraction often causes severe accidents that could’ve easily been avoided.
Another thing to consider is that many people have shifted into work-from-home jobs over the last few years. This lowered traffic levels, which experts initially believed would reduce fatalities. But what it actually did was that it increased overall speeds by relieving traffic congestion, meaning that more deadly high-speed crashes occurred.
Furthermore, people are just embracing risky driving behaviors. They are driving aggressively or making unsafe passes. They’re driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. They’re engaging in street racing and other such activities. They may neglect to wear their seat belts.
Cars themselves may continue getting safer, but they can only do so much to prevent serious accidents if drivers are becoming less safe. Those who have gotten injured due to the negligence of other drivers need to know how to seek financial compensation.