Georgia Injury Law Blog
Enforcement of traffic laws, including those against drunk driving and speeding, need to be a major part of any auto accident prevention program by state and federal governments. These are the types of traffic law violations which lead to very serious car accidents resulting in catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths.
The role that traffic enforcement can play in accident prevention tends to be a controversial topic. However, a recent piece in The Atlantic calls for increasing traffic enforcement in order to help reduce the number of people involved in serious auto accidents. The article refers to experiments in other states that have chosen to decrease traffic enforcement, consequently leading to an increase in the number of car accidents and accident – related catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths in these states.
Many car accident prevention programs these days focus heavily on the role of road design in preventing car accidents. However, there are many types of accidents that are not impacted or hindered by optimum road design. For example, a large part of the spike in auto accident wrongful deaths in recent years is linked to the increase in the number of car accidents occurring at night. Many of these auto accidents are speeding- related car accidents or drunk driving auto accidents that have very little to do with road design. These accidents are often connected to low levels of traffic enforcement. Simply put, if these speeding drivers and drunk motorists are fined for violations and taken off the streets, we are more likely to see a decline in car accident numbers.
The role of enforcement in traffic safety campaigns is vital, and we must push for a stronger role for traffic enforcement in preventing car accidents. The fact is that dangerous driving behaviors like driving at high speeds and driving under the influence of alcohol or driving while using a cell phone are acceptable to far too many motorists, at least some of the time. Regular and strict enforcement ensures that these violations are punished and thereby deterred. Drivers are much less likely to engage in poor driving behaviors when they know for sure that enforcement is certain and will result in tough penalties.
Many countries, especially those in Europe, have been able to reduce their auto accident fatality rates precisely because they have been able to combine better and safer road design with greater rates of enforcement. As many as one-third of auto accidents in the United States every year are caused by persons driving under the influence of alcohol. As many as 50% of persons who are killed in car accidents are not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Enforcement of existing laws helps prevent these kinds of accident-related wrongful deaths.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a ar accident, talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. A car accident claim can help you recover damages including medical costs, lost income and pain and suffering. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.