According to the reports of WHO (World Health Organisation), approximately 1.3 million people become victims of fatal accidents every year. Between 20 to 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries that may or may not result in disability.
Fatal or not, one sure thing is that these road accidents are impacting the lives of millions of families every year. Some people have to deal with emotional loss, and others suffer from financial loss due to inability to work, loss of a job, or high treatment costs. In such scenarios, it becomes necessary to contact a personal injury attorney and fight for your rights.
Furthermore, it is also essential to understand the top causes of rising road accident cases.
According to reports, a 1% increase in speed upsurges the risk of fatal crashes by 4% and non-fatal crashes by 3%. The number of pedestrians hit by cars has increased significantly. To be more specific, if a person drives a vehicle at a speed between 50km/h to 65 km/h, the chances of a pedestrian accident increase 4.5 times. Not only pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists are also not safe from car crashes. More than half of the road crashes worldwide involve these vulnerable road users.
Another major cause of rising crash cases is distracted driving. According to the top personal injury attorney, Michael S. Lamonsoff, drivers often get distracted or don’t obey the “yield to pedestrians” signs in densely populated cities. Apart from this, many drivers use their mobile phones while driving. Such behavior increases the risk of crashes. Although it is not possible to undo the accident, victims should contact the police, attorney, and insurance company as soon as possible. It will ensure that the offender gets caught and pay the compensation.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or any substance is never a good idea. Intoxication slows down the body’s response time, thus increasing the chances of vehicle collisions. According to studies, the likelihood of an accident after consuming alcohol or any psychoactive drug is five times more than someone who is sober. Not to mention, all forms of DUI are considered criminal offenses (with a few exceptions). A person is only allowed to drive after drinking if the blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08% or less.
The use of safety gear such as helmets, seat belts, or child restraints is crucial for protecting drivers and passengers. Reports have shown that wearing seat belts reduces the risk of fatal accidents of driver and front-seat occupants by 45 to 50%. Using child restraints lowers the number of child death cases by 60%. Safety gears also help reduce the risk of severe head and spine injuries.
However, approximately 35 to 40% of people in the US do not use safety gear, especially for short drives or rides. That’s why the injuries and damage suffered are rising.
Life is unpredictable, and so are road accidents. But it does not mean that one should not follow road safety rules or guidelines. Likewise, if you or anyone you know is a victim of a road accident, you should fight for justice and get the rightful compensation.
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