DID YOU KNOW:
...That sadly highway related deaths in this country, despite a pandemic that had road use down nearly 40%, is at its highest level since 1999? Adding even more pain to the topic is the fact that major vehicle safety breakthroughs have occurred in the last 22 years. Blame can be laid at the feet of several issues: the clearer roads meant people were far more inclined to speed; we mean REALLY speed. Highway averages run at about 83 mph and honestly things go wrong real fast at those speeds and the impact forces are greatly accelerated as well.
Despite a lot tech designed to keep drivers from distractions, driver attention spans have shrunken to mere seconds of driving focus. This assumes drivers are taking their vehicles extra safety devices for granted — bad call, because to take full advantage of your vehicles safety features you must first CRASH. Ergonomics, a huge point of attention in the 80s and 90s, have taken a third-row seat compared to the importance of cramming as much tech and toys into the dashboard as possible. The demand for real estate to fit all this new found distraction has required their control features to shrink to newborn finger size...it’s stupid. It’s like solving a Rubik's Cube at highway speeds while not looking through the windshield. Here are the sad and hugely disappointing numbers for death count for 2019. We should note that on a list with stats for 16 different countries, the United Sates ranked third only to China and India in road kills. (These stats provided by the World Health Organization)
CHINA: 250,272
INDIA: 212,596
UNITED STATES: 41,694
If, at first glance the the US numbers seem acceptable, consider this: We have the most safety-equipped vehicles in the world, we have have the best roads in the world, and we have the most traffic laws designed to prevent deaths...and yet 41,694 family members failed to make it home; sad!
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