Car crashes are on the rise, but a new report says that people are more likely to be killed in a car accident than in other types of road traffic.
The National Safety Council found that vehicle crashes have been on the increase in recent years, and the number of people killed in such accidents is on the uptick.
As a result, the council has created a new national strategy that aims to prevent and reduce the fatalities from such crashes.
“We have seen an increase in vehicle crashes since the late 1990s, but we’ve seen an equally dramatic increase in deaths,” said Mark Williams, the director of the Safety Council’s Safety and Injury Center.
“The reason why we’ve had an increase is because there’s been a lot more awareness of vehicle safety.
The car is now more of a safety net for people, rather than an aid in a life-threatening situation.”
The safety strategy, titled “The Safety Strategy for Safely Responding to Vehicle Accidents,” will be released this month by the council’s Safety Working Group.
Williams says that while car accidents have a lot of potential for death and serious injury, it’s important to remember that it can happen to any vehicle, regardless of whether it’s a passenger vehicle, truck, motorcycle or SUV.
He notes that there’s a difference between a crash that causes a death and a crash in which the person is injured.
“It’s the difference between being killed and being seriously injured,” Williams said.
“When a vehicle is involved in an accident, the people who are involved are people who have the ability to do some really important work with their hands.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that drivers stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the front or rear of a moving vehicle and stay at a distance of at least six feet (1 meter).
But the group says it’s more important for drivers to make sure they’re at least 15 feet (4 meters) behind the vehicle they’re traveling in.
The safest way to keep people in their cars while they’re in an auto accident is to: • Use a rearview mirror when looking at the road or a sign directing people to stay at the back of the vehicle or to the side.
• Do not stop to look at a vehicle, even when you’re sure no one is inside.
• Drive at a steady speed.
• Stay in your lane and keep your distance.
The council recommends that people drive slowly, and if you can’t, get behind the wheel and pull over for someone who can.
“I think a lot people would be very happy if they were safer and less likely to die in an automobile crash,” Williams added.
He also noted that the safety strategy’s focus on the dangers of driving with a rear view mirror is good.
“There’s a lot that we don’t understand about how people’s eyes adjust to those mirrors,” Williams continued.
“What we can do is put a little bit of effort into making sure that people who do this in their day-to-day lives have a really good safety system in place.”
But while the strategy is a good start, it won’t be easy to convince the public to adopt the policy.
“People don’t want to change their behavior and they don’t really want to give up their safety,” Williams concluded.
The safety group is hoping that the public will look to car insurance companies for advice on how to minimize the risk of being injured in a crash.
“This is an area where we need to work with car insurance agencies to be able to get better coverage for people,” Williams explained.
The Safety Council says the policy should also be extended to cover a driver who’s lost control of a car while distracted or distracted driving.
But Williams says there are many more things that could be done to prevent car crashes, including installing pedestrian signals in every vehicle and adding a lane for pedestrians to cross safely.
The organization is also recommending that people use their smartphones more frequently and should wear reflective headgear in certain situations.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact the National Emergency Number at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and follow the prompts to reach a trained professional.