Car accidents that cause injuries have happened virtually since
automobiles were invented. The first recorded accidental injury
occurred in 1869. An Irish woman named Mary Ward was thrown out
of the steam-powered carriage she was riding in when it hit an
especially deep rut in the road. She was immediately crushed by
one of the wheels, her injuries causing an instantaneous death.
Her cousin had actually been the inventor of this new type of
vehicle, in a cruel example of irony.
Over the last 25 years or so, car accident injuries resulting in
deaths have declined an impressive 50% worldwide. This is due
primarily to increased emphasis by both governments and car
manufacturers on safety, including the standard use of air bags
to reduce the number of severe injuries and deaths caused by
front and side car-to-car collisions.
Sadly, the United States is one of the few nations where
injuries and fatalities caused by cars have increased over this
same period. Experts suggest that this has several causes,
including an increased number of motorists overall, a steady
increase in the number of large trucks and SUVs sold, and a
sharp rise in the numbers of people using cell phones and other
technological gadgets while driving their cars.
Another common cause of car accident injuries is
'rubbernecking.' This is the term for slowing down (sometimes
suddenly) to look at an unusual situation happening on the road
(or nearby). Often, people do this to check out car accidents,
which can cause other motorists farther back who are not paying
close attention to fail to slow down or stop in time.
Rubbernecking is the #1 cause of all rear-end car accidents and,
in particular, whiplash injuries, in the United States.
Car accident prevention designed to reduce injury and fatality
numbers focuses on technology and changing human behavior while
behind the wheel. Modern cars and trucks are equipped with air
bags, and proximity and drift monitors are becoming more common
as well. Both emit loud tones to alert the car's driver that the
vehicle is entering a dangerous area. In Europe, this has been
shown to reduce accidental injuries from both car-to-car
collisions and single-car accidents.
Changing driver behaviors to reduce car accidents is a tougher
nut to crack - especially in the United States, where car
ownership is embedded in the culture. People spend so much time
in their cars today that it results in a sense of
invulnerability. The subsequent lack of defensive driving is one
of the reasons why accidental injuries from car collisions in
America are bucking the worldwide downward trend.
Perhaps surprisingly, U.S. states with less restrictive speed
limit laws actually have a slightly lower incidence of car
accidents that cause injuries or deaths. This can partially be
explained by a lower number of cars on the road per capita vs.
some of the states with lower speed limits. However, even when
adjusted for this effect, the statistics still show a slight
edge to states with higher limits. Advocates of stricter
enforcement of posted speed limits may be pursuing the wrong
strategy, if the goal is the prevention of car accident injuries.
A better approach to accident prevention should probably focus
on two areas that lead to many serious auto accidents: driver
distractions and age. Cell phones are becoming the biggest
distraction, and more and more states are banning their use by
the driver while the vehicle is in motion. Even if you live
where it is permissible, it's an extremely bad idea! Recent
studies have shown a clear connection between phone use and car
accidents.
Driver age has an interesting correlation with car accidents
that cause injuries and deaths. At both ends of the spectrum,
ages 16-20 and 70+, a much higher percentage of accidents occur
than with other age ranges. Accident prevention based on the
driver's age is not easily implemented, but calls by the public
and advocacy groups are on the increase. Some suggestions
include mandatory driver education courses, annual driver
examinations to reassess abilities, and even a magnetic sticker
or decal on all cars driven by a person falling into either age
demographic. The latter entails the idea that alerting other
drivers will increase their defensive driving attention,
reducing the frequency of accidents.
© John Schwartz http://www.tonneau-covers-1.com/ (all rights reserved) 
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