Federal transportation officials as well as state officials met in the nation’s capital recently to discuss ways to reduce car accident wrongful deaths.
Most states were represented at the gathering with 17 states declining to participate, and out of these, 10 of those states had traffic accident death rates that were higher than the national average in 2021. For most transportation officials, the past couple of years have been frustrating to say the least. After several decades of declining traffic accident deaths, the years since the pandemic have actually seen traffic accident deaths inching upwards once again. There have been increases reported in almost every category of accidents, from pedestrian accidents to speed – related accidents and distracted driving – related accidents. Clearly, new challenges have emerged since the pandemic and fresh strategies are required to deal with these.
Some states reported at the conference that they have successfully limited the impact of poor driving on accident numbers through very simple steps. These steps have involved the use of simple techniques, like rumble strips on highways as well as reflective tape on stop signs in order to help motorists pay stronger attention to the task of driving. Some states are investing in corridors for pedestrians. Others have increased fines on speeding while some states have focused on construction work zone safety with a specific focus on protecting construction workers in these dangerous zones. Many of these initiatives have met with great success, and provide a blueprint for other states to follow these efforts.
The meeting was held to commemorate the second anniversary of the announcement of the National Roadways Safety Strategy by the administration. The adoption of the National Roadways Safety Strategy has provided a blueprint that includes better roads, safer drivers, safer cars, better post-accident care as well as safer speeds in order to reduce car accident death numbers. Borrowing from blueprints adopted by the airline industry to drastically lower the number of plane crashes, the strategy focuses on the main contributing factors in auto accident deaths.
The federal administration also used the gathering to announce that it was inviting applications for more than a billion dollars in grants to be used for road safety initiatives. Through initiatives like Roads For All and Safe Streets, the administration plans to disperse more than $1.5 billion dollars in grants that can be used for road planning initiatives and other projects.
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