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Safety coalition aims to eliminate fatal crashes

Many Florida drivers fear the deadly hazards on America’s roadways. However, a safety coalition of transportation industry participants, government agencies and others is working to change this. In fact, the Road to Zero Coalition aims to achieve zero roadway deaths by 2050. To meet this goal, group members are advocating for safer driving, improved technologies and other changes to lead to safer roads.

Across the United States, over 100 people are killed each day in fatal motor vehicle accidents. That number is unfortunately on an upward trend. In 2016, 37,461 people lost their lives in collisions, an increase of 5.6 percent over the prior year. One of the primary points of concern is improving the safety of truck driving. Trucking accidents can be particularly devastating due to the mass and size of the vehicles involved. In 2016, truck accidents killed 4,317 people, which was a 5.4 increase over the previous year. Most of these crashes — 80 percent — involved trucks that weighed over 26,000 pounds.

The Road to Zero Coalition recommends a number of actions to improve roadway safety. For starters, the group wants to encourage 100 percent compliance in seat belt usage. In addition, they want to increase the use of protective technologies. While fully automated vehicles may be years away, technologies like lane-change warnings and collision avoidance can significantly help to cut down on the number of crashes.

An individual who has been hurt by a negligent driver might want to consult an attorney. A lawyer could help a victim pursue compensation that may cover medical bills as well as pain and suffering.

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