Unforeseen events do not have to be synonymous with motor vehicle crashes. In reality, these incidents are result of human-driven behavior and the laws of physics that govern us all.
It is time we realize the power in our words when it comes to what society calls “accidents” on roads – they can form an unfortunate narrative if left unchecked!
We must come together to tackle this challenge head-on by reshaping how we view accidents: as preventable outcomes rather than acts of fate or God. Together, let’s make a difference today; after all, every collision avoided could save lives tomorrow!
Continuous use of “accident” fosters the idea that the resulting injuries are an unavoidable part of life.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- 31,785 People die in traffic crashes in the first 9 months of the year.
- How many traffic deaths in the U.S. each year? 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants
-
How many crashes happen on US roads each year? More than 284 million vehicles will be on The roadways as of December 2022. On American roads in 2023, there are expected to be 243.4 million licensed drivers. From 238.6 million in 2022, this is an increase. Around 6 million passenger car accidents occur in the United States annually on average.
- What is the #1 cause of death on US roadways? SPEEDING Don’t be in such a rush! Everyone seems to want to get somewhere quickly, but when it comes at the expense of safety and speed limits are exceeded accidents can happen. The NHTSA reports that driving too fast for road conditions is one of the leading causes of traffic fatalities – so let’s stay safe on our roads by following rules and keeping speeds sensible.
It’s time for a quick change! The National Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA) of the US Department of Transportation has issued a new directive: the word “accident” will no longer be used in materials published and disseminated by NHTSA.
Therefore, it would be preferable to encourage the use of more appropriate terminology like “crash,” “collision,” “incident,” or even just plain old-fashioned injuries. Even official statements from this agency have been revised to no longer refer to “accidents” when communicating to people, teams within the business and private sectors, or journalists. Let’s raise awareness of the fact that these incidents could have been avoided and aren’t even accidents.
EMPLOYERS LOSE MORE WORK TIME OF EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN TRAFFIC CRASHES AND THE INJURIES AND FATALITIES THAT RESULT THAN FOR ANY OTHER REASON!
That’s why I love speaking at company safety conferences and briefings.
This material is by SAN DIEGO SAFE COMMUNITIES, a City of San Diego injury prevention project, in cooperation with the California Network of Employers For Traffic Safety.
If you’d like to arrange for Monica Zech to speak to your group or company safety meeting, please call her at (619) 441-1615 or e-mail her at [email protected]
