A new study reveals that individual states’ lack of safe driving laws could be contributing to the surge in the number of people killed in car accidents. The number of fatal car crash victims in 2015 spiked at 35,092, which was the largest increase in five decades. Data collected for 2016 indicates that the numbers will be even higher. In the first nine months of 2016, there was an increase of 8 percent more victims killed in car accidents than during the same time period in 2015.
National Statistics
Information collected from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows steep increases in deaths in almost every category of crashes, including:
- Bicycle accidents had a 12 percent fatality increase;
- Pedestrian accidents had a 10 percent fatality increase;
- Teen driver accidents had a 10 percent fatality increase;
- Distracted driving accidents had a 9 percent fatality increase;
- Motorcycle accidents had an 8 percent fatality increase;
- Accidents with victims under the age of 16 had a 6 percent fatality increase;
- Unbelted vehicle occupant accidents had a 5 percent fatality increase;
- Accidents caused by speeding had a 3 percent fatality increase; and
- Impaired driving accidents had a 3 percent fatality increase.
Safe Driving Laws
The Annual Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws, which was prepared by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, examines the safe driving laws of each individual state and how those driving laws – or lack of – impacts the number of fatal crashes in those states.
This year, the state of Rhode Island was ranked number one for having the best safe driving laws. Rhode Island was followed by Delaware, Washington state, Washington D.C., Louisiana and Oregon. The states with the worst safe driving laws were South Dakota, Wyoming, Arizona, Missouri, and Montana.
According to the report, there needs to be 374 laws safe driving laws passed throughout the country in order to meet the optimal safe driving advocates’ recommendations.
Where Does Virginia Fall?
Although the state does have some safe driving laws, the report points out that there are areas that lawmakers need to address. For example, Virginia has a law requiring the use of seat belts, but violators cannot be pulled over by police for not complying. It is a secondary law, meaning law enforcement would need another reason to stop a vehicle in order to cite the driver. The report recommends that Virginia lawmakers change the law and make it a primary enforcement law.
Other safe driving laws the study recommends that the state passes include requiring children up to 8-years-old or up to 57 inches to be in booster seats. The study also recommends there be changes to the state’s open container law for unrestricted drivers 18-years-old or younger. There are also changes needed to several graduated driving license (GDL) categories, including:
- Minimum age for driver’s permit;
- Supervised driving requirements;
- Nighttime restrictions;
- Passenger restrictions; and
- Cell phone restrictions.
In the last decade, there have been 8,995 victims killed on Virginia’s roads. Our Virginia Beach wrongful death attorneys have advocated for many families who have lost loved ones in car crashes and understand how devastating – both emotionally and financially – these losses can be.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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