This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated 36,750 people were killed in traffic crashes last year in the United States which is 12.2% above the all-time low of 32,744 traffic-related deaths in 2014. Total crash deaths never topped 34,000 from 2009 through 2014. So what could be to blame for the increase? Cellphone usage and distracted driving are part of the equation, but experts believe our crumbling infrastructure is partially to blame as well.
“Nearly 37,000 deaths a year on our roadways is a global embarrassment,” Andrew Wishnia, senior policy adviser with the Environment and Public Works Committee says. “We need to better leverage technology and innovation to improve road safety. That requires a new mindset.”
And since road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death by injury and the tenth-leading cause of all deaths globally, we need to shift our mindset to upgrading our infrastructure quickly.
Just the Facts:
- Cars, trucks and school buses cross 235,000 compromised bridges 178 million times a day
- The cost of not having adequate roadway safety features costs $102 billion annually in traffic and accident costs
- Cost to implement needed improvements to roadway safety: $146 billion
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reinforces the importance of roadway infrastructure improvements to enhancing safety and estimates that if safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades were made to our roadways, we could save 3,185 lives each year and prevent over 17,500 accident incidents. That equals 63,700 lives saved and a prevention of 353,560 serious injuries over a 20 year span.
Six Cost-Effective Roadway Safety Improvements
The AAA Foundation’s research recommended six cost-effective roadway improvements that could have the greatest potential to reduce both the likelihood and consequences of crashes. These six improvements could account for a 95 percent crash reduction rate if implemented in high crash areas:
- Roundabouts: Thirty percent of the overall fatality and serious injury reduction could come from converting existing intersections to roundabouts. Roundabouts can help prevent right-angle collisions, which are among the most severe crashes at conventional intersections.
- Roadside improvements: Simple actions such as clearing unnecessary roadside objects, improving side slopes and installing roadside barriers could reduce nearly 20 percent of fatal crashes and serious injuries.
- Pedestrian crossings: The addition or improvement of pedestrian facilities has the potential to reduce 20 percent of crashes by protecting these vulnerable road users. Most of these improvements would come from providing sidewalks where none currently exist. The addition or improvement of signalized pedestrian crossings should also be an element of the infrastructure program.
- Median barriers: The installation of new median barriers on existing divided highways can help reduce crashes by 14 percent. Median barriers help to prevent wrong-way driving and deadly head-on collisions.
- Rumble strips: Such infrastructure helps to keep drivers from leaving the roadway or their lane of travel. Improvement can reduce crashes by 9 percent.
- Shoulder widening and paving: Offering safer refuge for motorists and easier access to first responders would provide a 3 percent reduction in crashes.
It's clear that current investments in infrastructure improvements are substantially lower than what is necessary to fix the country’s aging roads and bridges. Reducing risk in the country's road traffic systems requires commitment and informed decision-making by government and industry organizations along with participation from road engineers, motor vehicle designers, law enforcement officers, health professionals, educators and community groups. We must commit to investing and improving our nation’s roadway and transportation infrastructure – it could be a matter of life or death.
What are your ideas for improving the safety of our roadways? Let me know at [email protected]
