Vehicular accidents are a leading cause of death in the United States. In 2016, there were 37,461 deaths due to motor vehicle crashes, and an about a couple of million people were injured from such accidents. This averages one death every 13 minutes and one injury every two minutes. The vast majority of these crashes are preventable, yet they continue to happen every day.
There are many different causes of vehicular accidents, but some of the most common include distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, and not wearing a seatbelt. Distracted driving is any activity that takes your attention away from the task of driving, and it can include things like talking on the phone, eating, or fiddling with the radio. All of these are preventable and can be prevented by the community itself. Here are ways you can do that.
Spread Awareness
The first way to keep your community’s roads safe is to promote distracted driving awareness. This can be done in several ways, such as through public service announcements, billboards, or even just having a conversation with your friends and family about the dangers of distracted driving. You can also help to make sure that drivers in your community are not distracted by making sure that they are following the law and not using their phones while behind the wheel.
Prevent Drunk Driving
Another way to keep your community’s roads safe is to prevent drunk driving. This can be done in many ways, such as through education, enforcement, and public awareness.
One way to educate people about the dangers of drunk driving is to have assemblies or other school events. Another way to prevent drunk driving is to make sure that there are adequate laws and enforcement to catch and punish those who do it. Finally, spreading public awareness about the dangers of drunk driving can help to discourage people from doing it in the first place.
Increase Seatbelt Use
Wearing a seatbelt is one of the simplest ways to stay safe on the road, yet many people still do not do it. In 2016, there were 10,428 deaths due to unrestrained passengers in motor vehicle crashes. This is entirely preventable, as seatbelts are proven to reduce the risk of death and injury in a crash by about 50%. In 2017, seatbelt use saved over 14,000 lives in the country.
You can increase seatbelt use by participating in seatbelt checkpoints, where law enforcement officers stop drivers and check to see if they and their passengers are appropriately restrained. You can also help to increase seatbelt use by talking to your friends and family about the importance of always wearing a seatbelt, no matter how short the trip is.
Slow Down
Speeding is another leading cause of motor vehicle accidents, yet it is also completely preventable. In 2017, speeding was a factor in 26% of all traffic fatalities. This is because speeding increases the severity of a crash and makes it more likely that someone will be killed or seriously injured.
You can help slow down drivers in your community by participating in speed watches, where volunteers track how fast cars are going and report them. Moreover, you can ask community leaders to construct speed bumps along the road. You can make motorists slow down in your community is to having police officers conduct speed patrols and post signs reminding drivers of the speed limit.
Wear Bright Clothing
When walking or biking on the road, it is important to wear bright clothing so that drivers can see you. This is especially important at night or in low-light conditions. In 2017, over 6000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents, and many of these could have been prevented if the pedestrian had been wearing brighter clothing.
You can help make sure that pedestrians are visible by giving out reflectors or reflective tape to those who walk or bike along the road. You can also ask community leaders to install better lighting along the roads.
Driving Lessons
One way to keep the roads of your community safe is to make sure that everyone has proper driving training. This can be done by offering free or discounted driving lessons to those in the community. One of the best kinds of driving lessons or tests is those that are DMV-approved. A DMV-approved defensive driving course can help refresh a driver’s skills and knowledge and make them aware of any changes in the law.
Moreover, you can also talk to your local DMV about having a “community day” where people can come and get their driver’s license or take a practice test. This can help to ensure that everyone who is driving on the roads of your community is properly licensed.
These are just a few ways that you can help to keep the roads of your community safe. By working together, we can all make a difference in keeping our communities safe from vehicular accidents.