An End to Traffic Fatalities?
The National Safety Council (NSC) is managing a project involving several safety organizations coming together to end U.S. roadway deaths by the year 2050. It’s called The Road to Zero Coalition, and the group released a report outlining its strategies to work toward that ambitious goal. This is the first collaborative effort with many organizations to combat deadly motor vehicle accidents. Due to the sobering number of annual traffic fatalities, joining forces is welcome.
Road to Zero – Three Key Initiatives
The Coalition’s report identifies three key initiatives to help bring down the number of annual traffic fatalities:
- Focus on what has been working based on the evidence and double down on those strategies.
- Support the advancement of life-saving vehicle and infrastructure technologies.
- Make safety a priority – adopt a Safe Systems approach and create a positive culture around safety.
The report emphasizes enforcing and strengthening existing traffic safety laws in the short term. It also seeks to provide new resources for traffic safety practitioners and researchers, with support for the professionals who design and construct roads and vehicles.
Widespread use of vehicles that are fully automated remains decades away. Still, the Coalition wants to accelerate the advantages of new vehicle technologies, such as automatic emergency braking, by forming partnerships between health and public safety groups and vehicle industry professionals.
Road to Zero – Promoting a Positive Safety Culture
The report prioritizes promoting a positive safety culture. It points to the fact that many businesses have improved injury and fatality rates by promoting a safety culture. Some other countries have succeeded with Safe Systems approaches – for instance, Sweden has cut its annual traffic deaths by more than half. Some U.S. cities have also implemented a Safe Systems approach, and the Council believes that these ideas need to span across the United States to make a real difference.
Watch the YouTube Video. The clip below was posted by the NSC and showcases the Council’s Road to Zero report. It asks us to imagine a world without traffic fatalities.
Until We Get There – Defensive Driving Courses
The NSC initiated the country’s first Defensive Driving Course in 1964, and since that time, it has trained more than 75 million drivers in every state and around the world. The Council has continued to work actively to bring down the number of vehicle collisions that happen on America’s roads for more than 50 years.
Because so many automobile accidents occur within the course and scope of employment, the NSC is encouraging companies to have their driving employees take an NSC Defensive Driving Course. Benefits to taking such a course, in addition to safer roads, could include:
- Reduced risk of traffic violations and motor vehicle collisions
- Reduction in exposure to liability and resultant legal expenses
- Reduction in workers’ comp claims and insurance premiums
- Fewer vehicle repair and replacement expenses
- Protection of the business brand and its operations
Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyer
Hello. Thanks for reading as we look at the work to make our highways safer. I’m Ed Smith, a wrongful death lawyer in Sacramento, California. We aren’t there yet, and unfortunately, many families continue to suffer after losing a loved one in a car accident caused by another’s negligence or recklessness. If your family is grieving such a loss, our compassionate injury lawyers can help with the legal issues surrounding such a tragedy. Call us for free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. Alternatively, send your questions to us online.
The links below will take you to client reviews and case results – information that may be helpful for your family as you search for an attorney you can trust:
Photo Attribution: MMcB
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