A recent report from the Texas Department of Transportation indicates that Austin roads will be more dangerous in 2020 despite fewer drivers. The report examined crashes and found that while the number of hits decreased by 3% between 2017 and 2018, fatalities increased by 17%. This is a worrying trend for road safety advocates who fear what these numbers could mean for future years.
The city has seen an increase in population over the last decade, with nearly 100,000 new residents coming into town. With this influx comes an increase in traffic on the already crowded streets and highways around town. Unfortunately, some say it’s just a matter of time before we start seeing more accidents as drivers get used to sharing tight spaces with other cars again after ten years without any growth in the city.
Austin Traffic Fatalities Increases Despite Fewer Drivers
While the pandemic slowly decreased the number of people on the roads, many accidents still resulted in fatalities.
While fewer people are driving these days due to a pandemic that is sweeping across most parts of the world, they’re not necessarily safer. On the contrary, traffic fatalities have increased since then despite lower numbers of vehicles on the road and lower rates of drunk driving arrests.
According to reports from several states, including Texas, California, and Virginia, drivers seem less likely to be under the influence while they’re behind their vehicle steering wheel, but this has done nothing for safety.
Instead, authorities say crash data show more deaths occurring along with higher speeds, contributing significantly towards fatality rates per 100 million miles traveled, which doubled in several states in just one year after the pandemic hit. In addition, an Austin injury law firm says that people are driving faster and not being careful near intersections.
While this stark increase in fatalities should be alarming for many, some people say that it’s not as bad as it sounds because the pandemic has made so few to no strides against other factors such as distracted driving or using cell phones while behind the wheel.
Most experts agree on this point and say more needs to be done with both officials and drivers working towards safer roads across the country. This includes stricter laws on drunk driving and more rigorous enforcement of texting bans while vehicles move forward.
Experts also recommend heightened awareness campaigns across all states that urge pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, skateboarders, and others to wear bright clothing at night when visibility is low, such as wearing helmets when bicycling.
Common Cause Of Car Collisions
The most common cause of car collisions is a driver not obeying traffic laws or failing to maintain control. Another common reason for accidents is distracted drivers. This includes checking their phones, putting on makeup, eating food while driving, and other tasks that can take their focus off the road, which leaves them more likely to run into another vehicle in front of them.
Another primary reason people get into an accident is that they’re intoxicated either by drugs or alcohol when behind the wheel. This leads to poor judgment calls when it comes down to making quick decisions like swerving around obstacles in the street rather than waiting until there’s enough space between vehicles along with turning without thinking about what might happen if they hit something else head-on.
In a nutshell, causes include:
- Distracted drivers
- Impaired drivers
- Driving too fast for conditions or roadways
- Not following traffic rules
- Driving while fatigued
- Racing
If there’s been an accident, it would be best to contact your lawyer for assistance. They’ll help guide you through the process and provide any details needed concerning the case at hand so that they can assist you further down the road if required.
A car collision occurs when two or more vehicles collide while moving along on their separate trajectories. This usually happens because one driver was not paying attention while another could have broken traffic laws which made them unable to steer away from each other before the impact occurred safely.
This results in damage to both cars involved and possible injuries for occupants inside these vehicles, no matter the collision’s severity.
In some cases, people may be able to pursue a claim with their insurance company if they have been involved in an accident caused by someone else failing to maintain control or follow traffic laws.
However, this is not always successful as most companies will try and pull out all the stops before giving into claims from injured parties, which can take months to process, let alone pay for damages incurred during these collisions.
What To Do If Involved In A Car Collision?
While we may take extra precautions when driving in certain conditions, there are times that accidents can’t be avoided no matter how hard we try.
If you’re involved in an accident with another vehicle in Austin, here’s what to do:
- First and foremost is staying calm. Getting upset won’t benefit anyone during this time, so it would be best if everyone remained levelheaded.
- Check to make sure everyone inside your vehicle is okay, including yourself!
- Call 911 if anyone is injured or in pain, and don’t move them unless necessary as this could cause further injury.
- Make sure they’re comfortable but continue checking up on them until emergency crews arrive at the scene of the accident.
- Snap some photos for documentation purposes; these can be used later for legal proceedings between both parties involved during the crash.
- Exchange information with all those involved like insurance providers, driver licenses, license plate numbers (if applicable), contact details, etc
Once the police arrive, file a report stating what happened initially, along with any damages you may have incurred due to another person’s actions while driving that caused the accident.
Conduct a thorough examination of the vehicles involved at this point to determine what type of repairs would be needed for them to get back on their wheels and continue along with your daily routine as usual.
If you were injured during this time, make sure that they file an injury report to be submitted alongside any other documents later down the road if there is a court case brought up against those responsible for causing these damages.
In most cases, insurance companies will take care of medical expenses related to injuries received from car accidents, but getting legal assistance may also help negotiate terms or handle disputes between both parties involved in each collision, whether minor or severe ones.
Final Words
Safety is one of the biggest concerns in today’s world. With more people on roads combined with distracted driving, driving carefully when behind the wheel is essential.
Driving requires 100% attention at all times. Distracted drivers have been known to cause some severe injuries or even fatalities due to their lack of focus while operating a vehicle. Please be mindful of your surroundings. Whether you’re walking alongside streets or sitting inside your car is the best way of preventing a collision.
