Photo credit: State Farm/Flickr
Human error, according to a multitude of sources, is primarily to blame for the majority of car accidents on North American roads. The U.S. Department of Transportation has stated that “the critical reason, which is the last event in the crash causal chain, was assigned to the driver in 94 percent of the crashes,” while the Eno Center for Transportation said, slightly more conservatively, that “driver error is believed to be the main reason behind over 90 percent of all crashes.”
While an experienced car accident lawyer will not be surprised by these statistics, they may come as a shock to many drivers/ Still. experts like Ryan Hagemann, a fellow on robotics at TechFreedom, believe that increasing and improving automation in private vehicles could significantly reduce accident rates.
“In theory, if you have 100 percent fully autonomous vehicles on the road, while you still might have accidents on the margin in rare situations, you’re basically looking at anywhere from a 95 to 99.99 percent reduction in total fatalities and injuries on the road,” Hagemann told Tech Times.
The automotive industry is steadily introducing new technologies and features to their vehicles which are stepping stones on the road to full automation. Today’s cars are more automated than ever, but improved technology has yet to translate into accident- and fatality-free roads, and human error is still to blame. If you have suffered an injury in an automotive accident, contact a Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers car accident lawyer today.
Ontario Provincial Police Annual Seatbelt Blitz
Take as an example the Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP) annual seatbelt blitz, conducted between September 21 and October 7, 2016.
The OPP laid more than 4,250 charges during this year’s seatbelt blitz, down approximately 1,200 from 2015. Fatalities have also fallen to 45 from 49 a year ago, Driving.ca reports. Alberta police report similar trends, including a 20 per cent drop in charges from last year.
Despite modest improvements, though, law enforcement still struggles to convince drivers use their seatbelts. This is particularly true for 24- to 35-year-olds of all genders; males in that age range account for about three-quarters of all seatbelt infractions and deaths.
“The seatbelt law went into effect 40 years ago,” OPP Spokesperson Sergeant Kerry Schmidt told Driving.ca. “This is not a generation who has ever known anything else.”
As automation increases, drivers are paying less attention to safety basics
Distracted driving has become an even greater concern to law enforcement and each car accident lawyer than seatbelt compliance. Alberta Staff Sergeant Paul Stacey told Driving.ca: “We’re seeing increases in the U.S. and the U.K. and we’re trying to stop it, but it’s a tough battle. One of our members was hit while on a motorcycle; the motorist’s response? ‘But my lane departure light didn’t go off.’ We’re seeing a decrease in things like shoulder checking.”
In terms of safety basics, shoulder checking is essentially on par with seatbelt use: both take little effort, and both can save your life. But as cars become safer, drivers may be more likely to forget the little things that keep them safe.
“There’s nothing worse than being a first responder and finding someone has been ejected,” said Schmidt. “The safety cage is intact, the car did its job, all those safety features someone probably bought that car for, fatally negated.”
Auto manufacturers and global tech companies like Google and Apple are well on the way to developing truly autonomous vehicles that will greatly improve road safety across North America. However, until driverless cars become a reality, Canadians must continue to abide by basic safety rules like shoulder-checking and buckling up if they want to ensure their roads are safe.
If you or a member of your family has been injured in an automotive accident, contact a car accident lawyer at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers today for a free, no-obligation consultation. You may be entitled to compensation.
Greg Neinstein
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