The numbers are staggering. In 2015, 35,092 people were killed in car crashes in the United States. Thirty five thousand. To put that into perspective, that is like the whole city of Kennesaw being killed in car crashes.
The numbers are not better in 2016. So far in the first half of this year, 17,775 people were killed in automobile crashes. That’s more people than the population of Fayetteville.
As I’ve discussed previously in this column there are a number of factors in the increase in roadway deaths. A huge spike in distracted driving (see smart phones), an increased number of people on the roads and a rise in miles driven.
In response to the sharp increase in automobile fatalities the federal government announced last week the goal of reducing roadway deaths to zero in the next thirty years. Some would say this is a bold and an unrealistic goal.
“Our vision is simple – zero fatalities on our roads,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “We know that setting the bar for safety to the highest possible standard requires commitment from everyone to think differently about safety – from drivers to industry, safety organizations and government at all levels.”
So how can we reach this goal? Obviously automotive technology wold play a huge part in this. From increased safety measures, air bags, etc. all the way up to self-driving cars.
“Reaching zero deaths will be difficult, will take time and will require significant effort from all of us but it is the only acceptable vision,” FHWA Deputy Administrator David Kim said. “We’re not at zero yet, but by working together, the day will come when there are no fatalities on the nation’s roadways, sidewalks or bicycle paths.”
A lot of you reading this have been impacted by a deadly crash. You either know someone personally that was killed in a wreck or you know someone close to you that lost someone.
“Every single death on our roadways is a tragedy,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. “We can prevent them. Our drive toward zero deaths is more than just a worthy goal. It is the only acceptable goal.”
So what can be done in the next 30 years to eliminate traffic fatalities? Step one has to be to finding a way to eliminate distracted driving. Whether through tougher laws and stricter penalties or some sort of technological advance that prohibits cell phone use while behind the wheel, that is the first obstacle to overcome.
The next step is eliminating human error. Statistics show that 94 percent of roadway deaths are caused by human error. That of course means self-driving or autonomous vehicles.
“Working closely with our partners, both inside and outside the Department, we are committing significant resources to the serious effort being put forth to make the ambitious goal of zero deaths an eventual reality,” FMCSA Administrator T.F. Scott Darling III said. “While we work tirelessly every day to promote safer roadways, we understand that this coalition will only succeed if we all do our part and pledge to make safety our highest priority.”
“The really sad part is that in the United States we accept 35,092 people dying on the roadways and thinking that’s okay. It should be unacceptable,” Rosekind, said.
I couldn’t agree more. Hopefully by 2046 we will have a different reality on our roads.
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