Although road traffic accidents have been present since the earliest days of motoring, they have increased with alarming predictability through time. It seems that we should be able to impose rules and procedures on this man-made activity, decreasing the road mayhem. Why has this not happened? Classification of accidents’ causes shows some frequently recurring triggering events. It is clear that many drivers will not slow down despite major safety campaigns to promote this outcome. Driver inattention is another frequent cause as well as many kinds of driver impairment. The climate cannot be controlled to make driving safer, but something must be done to stop the bullying on the highways known as road rage.
Aggressive driving is comparable to the worst Kindergarten behavior among children who have not learned to share. Drivers who set out to own the road through intimidation cause countless accidents on our highways. We can make things worse by excusing this phenomenon, blaming it on the stress of our super complex lives. But we must avoid this course of action. We must make it totally unacceptable to subject other drivers to the life-threatening harassment often wielded by the road raging driver.
Some drivers seem to see themselves as participants in the Indy Five Hundred as they rush to their destinations. Their speeds are totally inappropriate to their location, and they feel no need to signal their intentions or consider the reaction times of other drivers. No wonder speeding is frequently cited as the cause of accidents. Heavier fines and driving suspensions would slow them down.
Henry Ford could not have anticipated the luxury and the high-tech nature of today’s vehicles. We increase the gadgets in our vehicles at out own risk, because they distract us and make us inattentive to the movement of other vehicles. The human eye should be trained directly on the road while operating a vehicle. We should not be punching in phone numbers or texting, not ever.
There has been a significant decrease in impairment related accidents in recent years. However, there is still a need for further reduction in this type of accident. We could reduce it to zero, with effort.
We cannot affect the weather conditions. But we can prevent accidents by driving appropriately for the weather situation. We can even stay off the road if things are truly precarious.
Clearly, most road traffic accidents are preventable. All it would take is a sincere commitment on the part of all drivers to change their driving habits. That is all it would take. However, so far, this kind of thinking does not appear to be catching on with the drivers we see tearing down our highways.
Jo Wilson is an expert in accident claims. If you want further information about road traffic accidents claims or are looking for a trusted road accident law firm please visit http://personalinjury.ffw.com
