Myrtle Beach drivers take their lives in their hands every time they get behind the wheel. One coalition is bringing together government officials, industry leaders and safety advocates in order to reduce the risks of driving and cut roadway fatalities. The Road to Zero Coalition is so named because the coalition aims to achieve the goal of zero traffic deaths in the United States by the year 2050.
Deaths due to car accidents are of particular concern because they are on the rise. In 2016, 37,461 people were killed in vehicle crashes, a 5.6 percent increase over the previous year. This means that every day, over 100 Americans are killed on the roadways. Truck accidents are also a concern: The number of fatal truck crashes rose by 5.4 percent in 2016, killing 4,317 people, including 722 truck drivers. Of the trucks involved in these fatal accidents, 80 percent weighed more than 26,000 pounds.
There are a number of actions that the coalition recommends in order to improve traffic safety. For example, enhancing the use of safety technology can help make all vehicles safer. There is a great deal of attention to the issue of fully autonomous vehicles, but there are also many technologies currently available that can save lives on the road. For example, blind-spot detection, collision warnings and lane-departure warning signals can dramatically cut the likelihood of a crash.
Car accidents can be devastating to people’s lives when they cause severe injuries and lifelong disabilities. When people are injured in a crash due to another driver’s distracted, dangerous or negligent driving, they might choose to work with a personal injury lawyer. An attorney may help injured victims seek compensation for the harms caused, including lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering.