Do you consider risk of being a driver on American roads, and that when you get into a vehicle your life is at risk and so are others? Have you noticed that accidents on Americas roadways have become a major issue? More obvious example of how common wrecks take place can be noticed when you’re running late on the way to work just to get on the interstate to find a traffic jam caused by a wreck. In-fact almost every fifteen minutes another person loses their life on American roads due to vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, the number of lives claimed on American road ways continue to climb each year. Studies have narrowed many causes of wrecks down to three major causes of vehicle accidents. The three major causes of vehicle accidents include speeding, intoxication or impaired, and distracted driving. Despite, efforts by the government and advancements in the automotive industry, each year the amount of accidents continues to grow. The fact is that the real change in the growing trend can be made behind the wheel and starting with the driver. Accidents are less likely to happen if a driver is sober, eliminates distractions and abides by rules set in place by the government.

Speeding, being the least common cause of accidents when compared to impaired and distracted driving, still is one of the three leading causes of automotive accidents.  The government established speed limits in 1901 for many reasons, mainly the safety of motorist but also for the safety of the environment. Despite efforts in 2013 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the United States of America crash death rate was double of the rate of similar counties. It also reported that in 2013 one out of three fatal wrecks, speeding was a factor. When speeding a driver has less time to react compared to a driver who is not speeding, which could be the difference in life or death in some situations. Avoiding speeding not only saves lives but also gas mileage according to Fuel Economy a government founded origination “each five miles per an hour over fifty miles per an hour is equivalent to paying 16 cents more per a gallon of gas.” More gas consumption lead to more harmful carbine oxide released in the precious environments atmosphere.  The speed limit not only helps the atmosphere but also is designed to help decongest traffic in order to imply a safe traffic flow. Many great benefits provided by the speed limit when viewing a school zone. In a school zone the speed limit is reduced to a crawling 25 miles per hour in doing so it creates a safer environment for America’s youth in case a kid was to run out in traffic without looking both ways the safe law abiding driver has more time to react saving the kids life. Also when viewing a school zones the reduced speed limit allows for a better more efficient flow of traffic.    

Not only does a speeding driver loose gas money but it is illegal to speed. In fact speeding is America’s number one way of breaking the law and the number one ticketing or fine cause. Everyone question who has got behind the wheel of a vehicle has reported admitted to speeding in the last month. Speeding will make a driver loose more money paying a fine and or increase insurance if fined, so it all around losing situation. If you do speed you will be caught eventually, the government has made advancement in speed trapping technology such as accurate radar guns, and motion censored cameras, speed radars in many police vehicles and many other ingenious ways to catch a road racer. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the government made an average of 40 million dollars off just speeding tickets along. The money goes toward state roads and to pay state salaries and upgrading. 

The automotive industry made advancements in the cars technology to help the government fight against speeding drivers. Simple improvement such as cruise control, which a common function on most modern day cars, allows the driver to pick a certain speed for the vehicle will maintain the chosen speed. Advancements in vehicle odometer was made by making an odometer inaccurately read the speed of a vehicle up to ten percent more than the vehicle is actually going in order to create illusion in driver mind that the vehicle is moving faster than it actually is creating the driver to drive slower. Also most modern cars are provided with analog odometers allowing the driver to more accurately read the vehicle speed providing more awareness then traditional odometers. Some new modern day cars allow the owner to program different keys allowing for different performance of the car. For example a father can buy his daughter a 300 horsepower car that can reach speed well over 160 miles per hour with his key, but can program the daughter key so she is only allowed a portion of that horse power and maxim speed of that desired by the father. This advancement is very crucial to parents especially since America’s youth (15-20 years old) accounts for forty percent of fatal speeding accidents. 

Until 2010 impaired driving was the number one leading cause of vehicle accidents and mortality on American road ways but now is the second most common factor of automotive accidents that happen in America. Impaired driving claims an average of 28 lives every day in America. This mean every hour someone dies due to a D.U.I accident. Impaired driving can include the use of drugs, narcotics are most commonly alcohol.  At just 2 drinks which is equivalent to a two percent BAC, the body loses judgments. The body also loses the ability to predict the tracking of a moving target. At just three drinks which is equivalent to five percent of BAC the human body had problems steering and telling direction. Around four drinks or eight percent BAC the body loses concentration, speed control and slowed responses. At this point is harder for a human to have self-control and typically loses balance putting not only the D.U.I. driver at risk but also pedestrians and anyone else who share the road way with the simpleminded fool. 

The government has set fourth much action to help fight against and get rid of impaired drivers on American roadways in many ways. One way to help fight against the madness being reducing the illegal BAC to five percent. Which means if a vehicle operator is found driving a vehicle with BAC higher than five percent then the driver is illegally operating a vehicle and will be charged with D.U.I. States fight against DUIs by setting sobriety check points in various locations. In order to fight against teenage drinking and driving a nationwide zero tolerance has been set in place. Which means if anyone under the age of twenty one years old is found with any alcohol in their system while driving a vehicle they are instantly charged. Also organization are set place to raise awareness against drinking and driving. Many bars allow for overnight parking to help reduce the urge to drive home and will call home cabs or in modern day time Ubers or Lyfts to carry a drunken soul home. 

In 2010 distracted driving became the number one cause of vehicle accidents that take place on American road ways. In doing so, distracted driving surpassed speeding and impaired driving. Like many thing in modern day technology has both had a positive and negative impact on American road ways as well. Distracted driving is not limited to cell phones use but can include any distraction that causes a driver to take their eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel of the vehicle. In just 2009 according to Teddy Johnson more than 450,000 vehicle collisions occurred due to distracted driving. The scariest part the numbers of distracted driving collisions continue to grow every single year. This can be proved by a study performed in 2012 by the “Stop Distractions Organization” that an average of 660,000 accidents occurred due to the use of cell phones. In fact traveling at an average of 55 mph the time it takes a person to read an average short text message, a person can travel the distance of a football field then it takes three times as long as that to reply. A lot can happen in football field distance. 

Distracted driving is also the number on killer of America’s teenagers. This caused by the manilas never setting their phone down. The new generation considered the now generation where manilas have it and do it now. Not having the self-restraint to ignore the phone buzz teenagers have become more vulnerable to distracted driving.  Studies performed by the Ford AAA organization showed ninety five percent of age group ranging from sixteen too twenty five year olds admitted to using and sending a text message behind the steering wheel while operating a moving motor vehicle.

The government has acknowledged and started the fight against distracted driving. In 2009 Americas former president Barack Obama issued a law making it illegal for federal employees to text while drive or operate federal founded vehicles or equipment. In 2010 Federal Rail Road Company, Federal Motor Carrier, Pipeline and Hazardous Safety Administration banned all hand held cell phone use while operating equipment and while on the clock in general. Most states in America have made it illegal to use cell phone while operating a vehicle on a roadway. It is enforced by local and state authority by fines. Most insurance companies make their clients swear to be hands free while operating a vehicle.

Automotive industries have also had their foot in the door on the fight against distracted driving. With completely hand free talking feature in most modern day vehicles. Industries do this by blue tooth in the automotive radio system. Buttons are provided in the steering wheel to allow for completely hands free use and allowing the driver to answer the phone while keeping both hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. Also most modern day cars come with a feature called hands free texting, which uses Bluetooth to read the text from the user cell phone and then type whatever the operator wants and send all without removing the driver’s hands from the steering wheel. Simple advancements the steering wheels allow the driver to change the radio channels and volume without removing their eyes off the road as well.  Also most of today’s modern day cars come equipped with built in GPS. This feature allows the driver to view a map while keeping their hands on the steering wheel and can even read the directions out. Plus the built in GPS can warn operators of speed limits providing a safer environment for both the vehicle operator and pedestrians.         

Unfortunately, the number of lives claimed on American road ways continue to climb each year. Studies have narrowed many causes of wrecks down to three major causes of vehicle accidents. The three major causes of vehicle accidents include speeding, intoxication or impaired, and distracted driving. Despite effort by the government and advancements in the automotive industry. Speed limits exist for many reasons, not only for the safety of motorist, but also for the environment. Intoxicated driving such as drinking or the being under the use of drugs while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle is highly illegal, yet people still die from it every single day. Impaired driving was the number one cause of vehicle accident until recently being replaced by distracted driving. Not only is technology on a rise at a speedy pace but so is numbers of distracted driving victims every single year. Like many things in today’s time technology has also had a positive and negative effect on American roads ways. Distracted driving, such as use of cell phones while driving has a huge impact on American citizens and has become the leading cause of accidents and mortality in a vehicle in 2010, surpassing intoxicated and speeding drivers of the American roads. Distracted driving is also the number one killer of American youth. Automotive industries and the government are highly aware of the problems that are caused by speeding, impaired driving, and distracted driving; but despite efforts and advancements made in order to suppress the growing trend of mortality is helping, but not enough, because the rate is still increasing. The fact is that the real change in the growing trend can be made behind the wheel and starting with the driver. Accidents are less likely to happen if a driver is sober eliminates distractions and abides by rules set in place by the government.
