Drivers who have a history of rash or negligent driving practices are very likely to continue indulging in these practices in the future, increasing their risks of an accident.
According to researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, past driver behavior is a very good indicator of future accident risk. In other words, drivers who have a history of poor driving, including speeding, drunk driving, driving under the influence of drugs and distracted driving are very likely to continue to engage in these practices. According to the researchers, this is the reason why we saw increased traffic accident fatalities in 2020 in spite of a reduction in traffic volumes. Even with lower volumes of traffic, Atlanta roads saw a higher number of traffic accident fatalities last year, with distracted driving, speeding and drunk driving pushing those numbers upward.
Past behavior is a reliable indicator of future driving. For example, a motorist who has a history of driving at high speeds will continue to be at risk of speeding. If anything, the behavior of such drivers is only exacerbated when the roads are less congested. In 2020, the streets saw lower traffic crash traffic volumes, but the empty streets only encouraged drivers who were already very prone to speeding to drive at very high speeds.
Failure to wear seat belts is a major factor in causing serious injuries or fatalities in accidents. Motorists who have a poor history of being buckled in are only likely to continue with these habits. Encouraging safe driving practices should, therefore, be a major component of any traffic accident and injury prevention strategy.
One of the major factors that contributed to higher traffic accident fatalities in 2020 was the lack of police presence on our streets. With fewer law enforcement officers pulling drivers over to monitor field sobriety tests or to check for other rash driving practices, there was lower enforcement of current laws which only led to widespread violations of these laws. Motorists who have become used to the road conditions over the past few months and have engaged in speeding or distracted driving will continue to be a major risk to all Atlanta motorists unless measures are taken to reduce the number of traffic violations. Enforcement needs to go back to pre-2020 levels if we are to keep Atlanta drivers and pedestrians safe over the next few months as traffic volumes increase on our streets.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers represent persons who have suffered injuries in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident due to the negligence of another, talk to an attorney at our firm, and determine whether you have legal options to a claim for compensation. You may qualify for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other forms of damages. Your spouse and family members may also qualify for other damages like loss of consortium. Talk to a lawyer and discuss your legal rights to a claim. Initial consultations are free.