One average, four people die in car accidents in Hollywood and elsewhere every hour of every day. The financial impact of a car accident can be just as devastating. According to a CBS News report, car accidents cost the country about $300 billion every year. That cost is now higher than the cost of traffic congestion.
Our Hollywood car accident attorneys understand that car accidents can be costly. The average fatal car accident costs around $6 million. This cost includes all of the medical expenses, legal costs, emergency services, lost earnings, etc. The cost for an average car accident causing injury is about $125,000, and some 33,000 people die on our nation’s roadways every year.
“Traffic crashes really need to be moved to the forefront of the American discussion as the public safety (and) health threat that they are,” said AAA spokesman Troy Green.
Unfortunately, car accidents are so common that these incidents don’t even make it in the news anymore. Consider it this way: a small plane would have to fall out of the sky every day for 360 days in a row to equal the costs we pay out for car accidents. That would be unacceptable for aviation and it should be just as unacceptable for car accidents.
The fact that the cost of car accidents has surpassed the cost of traffic congestion is astonishing. Traffic congestion losses include the loss of motorists’ time and gas wasted while idling in traffic.
A recent study concluded that the cost of accidents is roughly three times greater than traffic congestion, about $300 billion to nearly $100 billion. This is largely due to the increase in the costs of accidents in recent years. The most significant increase was experienced between just 2005 and 2011.
Officials recommend the following to help reduce the risks of accidents:
-Consider new safety technology like electronic stability control (ESC). This technology helps to keep a vehicle stable during skids by automatically braking when necessary. Some estimates conclude that this technology could save nearly 10,000 lives a year.
-Continue the development of short-range radar sensors. These sensors have the ability to warn a driver when he or she may be about to get into an accident. This system can also activate seat restraints and the vehicle’s airbags.
-Continue to enforce distracted driving, drunk driving and speeding laws. Right now, only 35 states have laws banning text messaging behind the wheel. Florida is not one of these states.
According to Green, every state needs stricter laws, tougher enforcement and harsher penalties.
Right now, AAA is pushing a multi-year, long-term, nationwide transportation bill that focuses on roadways safety. According to AAA, this bill could save both lives and money. AAA is aiming to get the focus off of congestion issues and to get Congress to focus more on the serious and fatal accidents on our roadways.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Hollywood, Margate, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach or the surrounding areas, contact Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777 today.
Additional Resources:
Car crashes cost U.S. $300B a year: AAA, by Mark Strassmann, CBS News
More Blog Entries:
Vehicle Recalls Concern Motorists Hoping to Avoid a West Palm Beach Car Accident, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, November 7, 2011
End-of-Year Brings Increased Risk of Car Accidents in Hollywood, Plantation, Elsewhere, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, October 21, 2011