New data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that the motor vehicle fatality rate fell 1.7 percent in 2011.  It appears that the fatality rate for accidents involving cars, trucks, SUVs and other vehicles is the lowest it has been since the NHTSA was created in 1949.  This positive news is part of a 5-year trend from 2006-2011 during which motor vehicle fatality rates dropped by more than 25 percent.  Despite this positive news, car accidents on U.S. roadways are estimated to have claimed the lives of over 32,000 people during 2011.

Although the NHTSA data is encouraging in terms of improved highway safety, the data may be somewhat misleading.  The reduction in car accident fatality rates occurred during a year where drivers are traveling less because of high gas prices and tough economic times.  The NHTSA report indicates that the number of miles traveled in the U.S. fell by 35.7 billion during 2011.  This decline from the miles traveled in 2010 represents a 1.2 percent decline in miles traveled by drivers nationally.

While much of the decrease during 2011 may be dismissed as the product of drivers avoiding the roads because of financial woes, the five-year trend clearly reflects a substantial decline in motor vehicle accident fatalities.  There are a number of factors that the NHTSA indicate may contribute to this downward trend:

Increased Seat Belt Use: Many states are have implemented mandatory seat belt laws that have clearly proven effective in actually changing behavior.  These laws also are being more strictly enforced particularly in states wear seat belt violations are a primary violation.  A primary violation is one for which a law enforcement officer may actually pull a driver over.  Studies in several states have found that seat belt use increases significantly with implementation and enforcement of mandatory seat belt laws.  There are many occasions where seat belts are the reason that vehicle occupants suffer only minor injury.  A seat belt can keep drivers from being ejected from the vehicle, which is a leading cause of traffic related fatalities.  When vehicle occupants buckle up, they may also reduce the risk of fatal head injuries caused by being thrown against hard surfaces like windshields and dashboards inside vehicles.

More Effective DUI Laws and Enforcement: Alcohol impaired drivers continue to account for a third of all car accident related fatalities.  However, significant progress has been made reducing the rate of drunk driving through enforcement programs, such as sobriety checkpoints and the use of ignition interlock programs as well as harsher penalties for DUI offenses.  Zero tolerance laws designed to prevent teen drivers from operating motor vehicles with any measurable amount of alcohol in their blood also have helped prevent fatal DUI accidents.

Improved Vehicle Safety: Cars, trucks and SUVs have also become safer through use of more airbags, anti-lock brakes, collision avoidance systems and other safety features.  An example of a class of vehicles that have become safer is SUVs.  Electronic stability control systems (ESC) that apply the brakes individually to individual wheels when a driver over-compensates with a hard steering maneuver are now an effective counter-measure to rollover accidents.  Safety standards for the roof strength of SUVs have also improved which has helped reduce the risk of roof crush injuries in SUV rollovers.

While traffic related fatalities are down, there are still many people that lose their lives in avoidable Mississippi car accidents each year.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.