The Barnes Firm

Traffic Crashes Set 50-Year Record in 2015

• January 20, 2016
• Sandy

SAN DIEGO – Whenever you step in a vehicle, you’re surrounded by safety features: seatbelts, air bags, crash avoidance technology. Cars have certainly undergone improvements over the last few decades but despite these improvements, 2015 saw the largest percentage rise in traffic deaths in the past 50 years, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

According to the newest figures, 4.4 million people were seriously injured in car crashes last year and another 38,300 people were killed. The NSC says if the figures are even close to accurate, it makes 2015 the deadliest driving year since 2008.

A San Diego car crash attorney at The Barnes Firm says these numbers should be sobering for every driver.

“Many drivers take safety for granted when they’re on the streets and freeways in San Diego,” car accident attorney John Sheehan said. “It’s always been important to be a defensive driver and to stay alert but if we want to reverse this trend, we need drivers to be smarter.”

Distracted driving was among the bad driving behaviors that were found to be on the rise. Both the NSC and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made efforts last year to raise awareness of the problem and made goals to reduce the number of distracted drivers.

However, the rising number of accidents may be directly correlated to the economy.

According to the NHTSA, job growth and low gas prices had an enormous impact on the number of traffic collisions. Experts say drivers logged more miles on the road in 2015 and it wasn’t all work-associated. Since families have more disposable income than they had in the past, traffic officials say teens packed on more miles and all drivers spent more time in their cars for leisure.

“What’s really discouraging about last year’s traffic figures is that it comes after nearly a decade of declining fatalities and safety improvements,” Sheehan said. “We urge all drivers to put the phone away and focus on the road ahead of you because your life truly does depend on it.”

A San Diego car crash attorney at The Barnes Firm will represent drivers and passengers who have been injured by negligent and distracted drivers.

The Barnes Firm 1-(800) 800-0000