The holiday driving season is nearly two months away; but in New York, traffic is a constant. The dangers that come with more than three million people and countless motor vehicles cannot be ignored. With that, it is common to see public service announcement pleading against widespread bad habits such as talking on the phone while driving, texting while driving and drunken driving; all of which lead to accidents and horrible injuries.
While limiting these are common goals for safety agencies, the federal government has set a goal of eliminating fatal crashes within the next 30 years. It may seem like a lofty and insurmountable goal, but the government believes that growing technologies and greater awareness about public safety may lead to this goal.
The first wave of autonomous (driverless) vehicles is expected to hit roads in New York by 2020. Also, some forms of this can be seen in today’s vehicles, such as lane awareness alerts, parking assist functions and blind spot alerts. It is expected that fully autonomous cars will eliminate many of the errors that lead to crashes, such as speeding, aggressive driving and drunk driving, to name a few.
According to a recent ABC News.com report, the zero deaths pledge was implemented in response to 7.2 percent spike in road deaths in the first six months of 2016 compared to last year. However, it is further evidence of the need for drivers to exercise reasonable care while behind the wheel.
If you have questions about your rights and options after a car accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can advise you.
