Tuesday, 17 December 2013

The Role of the Government in Making Highways Safer

In these modern times, commuting is one of the biggest needs of people. In the United States alone where hundreds of millions live, it needs an extensive road network to accommodate this need of the people. That is why the country has the largest network of highways in the world. That includes the Interstate Highway and the US Highway systems.

Accident-prone

Despite coming up with ways to make highways safer to travel on, a lot of accidents still happen on these roads. According to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle accidents are more likely to take place on highways than anywhere in the country. The fast pace of the vehicles travelling on these roads is one of the most common reasons for the accident. Just recently, a pile-up of cars happened along the intersection of Interstate 680 and Stoneridge Drive. Apparently there was an initial collision of two vehicles and then, the pile up happened. According to a Los Angeles car crash attorney, this is just of the thousands of accidents that happen along the US' many highways. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, 2,739 people were killed while 229,354 were injured because of the collisions recorded in the state in 2010.

Advancements in highway safety

This is the reason why the government, through the Department of Transportation and the NHTSA are continuously coming up with safety campaigns to help educate people about the dangers of driving on highways and the importance of safety while driving by highways. From driver education to initiating studies on how to make vehicles safer, these agencies are working hand-in-hand with various stakeholders like automobile groups and car manufacturers. Over the years, these studies have resulted in the development of various vehicle safety systems and new laws that help lessen or minimize the effects of car accidents.

Stopping accidents from happening

According to a Los Angeles lawyer, a lot of these accidents happen because of some driver's irresponsible behavior while driving. That is why more than the many laws of the land, the various safety systems built in cars, as well as campaigns for road safety; practicing safe driving habits is one of the best ways on how accidents like these could be avoided. That is why as the person behind the wheel, you can make a difference in making American roads and highways safer to travel on.

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