According to recently released data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), highway fatalities rose by 7.2 percent in 2015. This is the largest year-over-year increase since 1966, when fatalities rose by 8.1 percent.
The NHTSA largely attributed the sharp increase in fatalities to lower gas prices and increased job growth—both of which have led to an increase in drivers on the road. The agency also revealed that a large number of drivers who were involved in fatal accidents weren’t adhering to simple safety measures, such as wearing seatbelts or abstaining from alcohol.
In response to the large number of fatalities, the NHTSA, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the White House have all called for safety experts and researchers to work on ways to determine and mitigate the causes of reckless driving.
Please remember:
- Put down your cell phone
- No texting and driving
- Check your medicine to see if affects your response time prior to driving
- Abstain from drugs or alcohol prior to and while driving
- Wear your seatbelt
Let’s make our roads safe in 2016 and 2017! Thanks for reading.
