Car Accidents in the USA - Case Study Example

Car accidents and how to prevent them in the united s A car accident is the effect of collision between a motor vehicle and another, an animal or a pedestrian leading to loss of property, death and injuries or vehicle damage. The car accidents can either be head-on collision, rollovers, side collisions or rare-end collisions (Chen L. 2007). The United States of America for instance at times experiences fatal accidents. At least eighty percent of the car accidents are as a result of man error. In 2012, statistics shows that ninety two people on the road ways were killed. Six million car accidents are experienced annually .At least two million drivers sustain permanent injuries in U.S.A annually due to reckless driving. These statistics are released by the U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Laws have therefore been created in United States so that pedestrians, driver and the passengers are not kept at risk of such accidents (Naumann , 2005). The U.S government has been able to come up with and keenly follow to the later the following measures in order to prevent car accidents. First is the introduction of licensed driving schools. The drivers who have attained their skills from registered driving schools cause less accidents as compared to non-licensed driving schools (Chen L. 2007). Another measure is monitoring alcohol concentration of drivers. The U.S police and other authorities have prohibited the nationals careless driving by measuring and inspecting the level of alcohol of all those who drive (Chen L. 2007). They do this buy measuring blood alcohol level of the drivers. This is because driving when drunk leads to poor judgment of direction speed and distance and that is why some accidents come about. Introduction and fastening of seat belts in vehicles is also a measure taken to curb accidents. All vehicles in States must be fitted with safety belts and that is why the risks of death in the United States of America have reduced by a third. The state is also doing it’s best to create awareness about the effectiveness of seat belts. Well maintained vehicles experience less mechanical problems moreso on the roads. The citizens of United States are therefore urged to drive serviced and road worthy vehicles. Those found going against this rule face the law because they are considered to have put the lives of others at risk. Car tires should be well inflated in order to avoid car accidents. Car breaks, wind screen and mirrors should constantly be checked and well Positioned (Naumann , 2005). Some car accidents in the United States are considered caused by poor stability in the vehicles hence vehicles should be having proper center of gravity. The cars which have poor balance experience constant rollovers and therefore cause very fatal accidents. The government is therefore advocating and investigating that companies produce vehicles with proper equilibrium (Naumann , 2005). All drivers must follow speed guidelines. On the centrally, most drivers are not at times keen on the normal speed on the roads and that is why they become unable to react efficiently when an emergency breaking is required. A over speeding driver automatically causes serious accidents. Besides, speeding can lead to loss of control of both the steering and the driver thus resulting to accidents. A driver needs to be more careful when on the road. Drivers in United States are encouraged to be keen in observing any traffic lights and the maximum speed limit. The appropriate distance between one car and another must be maintained so as to avoid head-on collisions (Lorene, 2011). One must keep to his lane unless he or she wants to overtake. Drivers are advised and taught to be careful when moving from one lane to another and that it should not be done in haste (John, 2013). Traffic lights act as key guideline on the road for both the road users and the drivers. They inform the drivers of when it is safe for him to make a move. To the pedestrians, they become well informed of when to cross roads or wait for the drivers to move. If this is observed, then few accidents occur (John, 2013). Good drivers are required to concentrate fully on the roads. This means that they should fully ignore any internal and external form of disturbance in order to prevent car accidents. Eating, making calls, texting, drinking are examples of distraction which one must not allow when driving in the United States. Some other drivers can inappropriately use horns on the road which is prohibited by law because it is a distraction to drivers and may confuse them thus causing accidents (Washington, 2012). Severe weather conditions such as rain, snow, fog, windy hinder drivers from driving well in United States. In such whether conditions, car drivers are therefore advised to use the minimum driving speed because the visibility is normally less as compared to the other days. Besides, drivers must also be careful when driving especially when changing lanes. If one can totally not see ahead when driving, the he or she is advised to stops driving until the weather becomes better (Washington, 2012). Again, drivers are encouraged to turn on their head lights when driving in bad whether so as to increase visibility. If someone did not sleep well over the night, there is likelihood that he might cause an accident if he drives at that time. The driver should have enough sleep prior to driving the following day so as to avoid car accidents. If the driver experiences fatigue, he should avoid driving at that time because the reaction time at that moment is impaired and chances of causing accidents at that time are high (Lorene, 2011). It is a mandatory for all drivers in the United States to be on the look out when on the road. They should be aware and experienced enough on how to excuse emergency drivers such as ambulances and fire departments. In this situation, car horns are much useful among the drivers (John, 2013). Car signals should also be used well for communication purposes so as to avoid accidents. Besides, these emergency departments should have their cars fitted with fast- flashing lights which informs other drivers on the same road of the emergency such that they are able to react to it quickly. Research in United States shows that younger drivers between the age of fifteen and twenty two are at risk of causing accidents than the aged. The government has since been advocating for employment of old people in most organizations as drivers (Lorene, 2011) Conclusion. Car accidents are very common in the United States. All drivers must be careful to follow the rules and regulations set for them. Those ignorant and found guilty faces the law and they are severely punished for as appropriate. References Chen L. (2007). Nationwide review of graduated driver licensing): AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety .Washington DC: Little Brown library. John, G. (2013). U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Washington DC: Griffin Library. Lorene. (2011). U.S. highway deaths decline for a fifth year, longest streak since 1899. U.S.A: Oxford University Press. Naumann, R. (2005). Incidence and total lifetime costs of motor vehicle-related fatal and non fatal injury by road user type. United States: Mull publishers. Washington. (2012). CDC Health Information for International Travel Chapter 2: Injuries and Safety. Canada: Oxford University Press. Read More