ALT-1 Death on the Roads the Epidemic of Car Fatalities
Another year has passed and yet another road toll statistic has been generated. World wide thousands of people are dieing each year on the roads. It makes 9/11, murders, and most other media worthy stories pale in comparison.
In the USA civil liberties still ensures that a higher than necessary road toll exists because of crazy laws in regards to police being able to intercept drivers. In most other countries RBT - random breath testing means all drivers can be tested at any time. The 30 second inconvenience is a small price worth paying given the amount of the lives it can save. When RBT was brought into Queensland the road toll was HALVED. I would expect the same result in the USA. Given the real civil liberties that Americans has lost in relation to the war on terror with no real gains wouldn't the US save more money and more lives if it invested the same time and money into road saftey programs?
Here in Queensland the government with the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Transport aimed to keep the states road toll beneath 300. Unfortunately in 2006 they failed. They are going to have another attempt in 2007. One of the first things that need to change it the concept of traffic crashes being "accidents". Most traffic incidents are not accidents. Especially in the case of deaths four factors keep repeating - the fatal four as it is called - Alcohol, Speed, Not wearing seat belts and Driver Fatigue.
You can increase you chances of keeping your family safe by never drinking and driving, keep to the speed limit, wearing your seat belts and avoiding driving for too long a period especially in big countries like the USA, Australia, Canada, etc.
One of the other things that unfortunately has also increasing come into fashion is the practice of hooning. Suping up cars, modifying them and racing. Whether this is a result of films promoting this type of thing like the fast and furious or other reasons is irrelevant. As someone who has been to a fatal traffic incident scene I wish I could do the same for all young drivers to show them the serious irreversible consequences in a very graphic way.
Unfortunately as humans (me included) we only learn from our mistakes. At 18 I rolled a car in the wet and thankfully neither my friends or myself were injured (we were all wearing seat belts), it was then that I learnt motor vehicles aren't toys and that they can be a deadlier weapon than a firearm in the wrong hands.
Lets this year bring down the road toll.
Article Source: http://www.article-gems.com
