Causes of Some Charlotte, North Carolina Personal Injury Accidents: More than 50% of US Highway Deaths Involve Deficient Roadway Conditions
According to Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, more than 50% of US highway deaths and 38% of nonfatal injuries involve deficient roadway conditions. 10 roadway-related accidents happen each minute—that’s 5.3 million accidents a year.
The PIRE notes that these figures make it evident that making changes to the roadway environment so that it is more forgiving and protective is necessary to reduce the number of highway deaths and associated expenses. Dr. Ted Miller, who is the principal author on the study, says that if we placed as much attention on improving road safety conditions as we do in convincing people not to drive drunk, “we’d save thousands of lives and billions of dollars” annually.
Findings in the study, called “On a Crash Course: The Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways,” include:
• Deficient roadway conditions cost $217 billion/year (including $20 billion in medical expenses and $99 billion in quality of life costs).
• This figure is over 3.5 times the $59 billion that governments in the US invest each year on roadway capital improvements.
Among the study’s recommendations that transportation officials can implement to improve road conditions so that injuries will be reduced and lives saved:
• More durable, brighter pavement markings.
• Using breakaway poles instead of non-forgiving poles.
• Placing rumble strips on shoulders.
• Mounting additional safety barriers or guardrails.
• Widening shoulders.
• Adding shoulders.
• Better roadway alignment.
• Widening or replacing narrow bridges.
• Decreasing abrupt drop offs and pavement edges.
• Clearing more space next to roadways.
If you or someone you loved was injured in a North Carolina car crash because of a defective roadway condition, you may have grounds for filing a personal injury case.
Some roadway defects that can lead to Raleigh motor vehicle accidents:
• Poorly designed road systems
• Potholes
• Not enough lighting
• Lack of traffic signs or warning signs
• No guardrails or center dividers
• Improper placement of roadway markings
• Excessively high speed limit for road condition
Some roadway defects that can lead to Raleigh motor vehicle accidents:
• Poorly designed road systems.
• Potholes.
• Not enough lighting.
• Lack of traffic signs or warning signs.
• No guardrails or center dividers.
• Improper placement of roadway markings.
• Excessively high speed limit for road condition.
More than Half of Highway Fatalities Are Related to Deficient Roadway Conditions, PR Newswire, July 1, 2009
Related Web Resource:
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
