While we are often talking about how you can avoid a Connecticut auto accident it is sometimes equally important to understand where the United States as a country stands as it relates to other countries in the developed world on traffic safety issues. While these statistics are not always informative of what is happening in our own neck of the woods, they can identify problems that need to be addressed throughout the country to make our Interstate road system safer for all.
The statistics compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) and reported on by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) can be informative to put our traffic safety issues into perspective among those of other countries.
One of the first traffic safety issues that the WHO looked at was speeding. Excessive speed is often one of the biggest causes of auto accident fatalities in the country and as the data suggests throughout the world. On this note, there is relatively good news to report. Among the countries surveyed for this report, the U.S. was eighth in auto accident deaths that involved excessive speed. The U.S. was eighth behind Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
Another traffic safety issue that was looked at by this report was the use of alcohol by drivers in these nations. In this regard, the U.S. did not fare quite as well as it was second in car accident deaths that involved alcohol. The U.S. was second behind only Canada who was first in this regard with 34% of all deaths behind the wheel involving alcohol. The U.S. had 31% of all fatalities involving alcohol.
In probably the most important category of all the U.S. was #1 for the number of auto accident deaths per 100,000 people. This is the category that no country wanted to be first in and unfortunately the U.S. was number one by a large margin. The U.S. experiences 10.3 deaths per 100,000 people, the next closest number was New Zealand at 5.6 deaths per 100,000 drivers. This staggering difference is concerning as it relates to U.S. drivers and driving habits.
The U.S. is far behind other countries in traffic safety as it relates to alcohol related fatalities and overall fatalities. While we do a little better with speed related fatalities there is always room for improvement. It is critical that when you get behind the wheel you do so without being under the influence of alcohol and you drive the speed limit to reduce your chances of getting into a Connecticut auto accident and adding to the problem that the U.S. already has.
Whether you’re in Connecticut or Colorado or anywhere in between you should take these numbers seriously and drive safely. If you are in Connecticut you may need an attorney if you are involved in an accident. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your case and work with you to protect your long-term interests.
