Georgia Injury Law Blog
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of serious injury and even death every year. Safer vehicles play a key part in helping prevent a large number of fatal accidents every year. The federal administration is considering upgrades to its rating system for new vehicles so customers can make safer and informed decisions about the vehicles they drive.
Statistics show that more than 3,000 people die on American roadways every month. Many of these deaths occur in accidents that are preventable through better vehicle design. Safer auto design used to be a key element in safety efforts a few years ago which is why we had important safety legislation like laws strengthening roof strength in order to prevent the kind of serious injuries that result from rollover accidents. That lead to a cut in the number of fatal rollover accidents recorded every year. However, there doesn’t seem to have been as much legislative focus on vehicle safety design or changes to the existing system that make it possible for customers to buy safe cars in recent years. This could also probably explain, at least in part, the increasing number of traffic accident fatalities recently. According to new statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, those numbers increased to record highs this year. The agency is currently planning an update to its star rating system for new vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s five star rating system known as the New Car Assessment Program will be upgraded to better reflect the various new technologies that are now included in automobiles to prevent accidents. In particular, the plan is to include four new safety technologies including blind spot prevention and intervention, lane departure warning systems and pedestrian accident-avoidance technologies in new vehicles. The plan also includes more updates to the current testing procedures for new vehicles as well as stronger criteria for driver assisted safety systems.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also looking at creating a 10- year roadmap for the future which will invite comment on auto safety technologies so that customers can rate technologies and compare them with each other. The point is to make information more available and accessible to customers directly so that they can make informed choices about the vehicles that they buy.
These car safety rating systems play a huge role in influencing customer purchase decisions. Cars with low ratings typically see poor sales because motorists, especially those with families, do not want to invest in vehicles that do not meet their requirements for safety. Updates to these ratings will further help keep motorists safer.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers represent persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. if you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to an attorney at our law firm and discuss if you have rights to a legal claim for damages. A claim can help you recover compensation for medical expenses, lost income, diminished earning capacity and other types of damages. Talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.