When you look at reasons for deaths in the United States, there is typically a focus on trying to end the threat and move beyond it. Scientists search for a cure for cancer. Doctors try to curb the obesity epidemic. Officials pass laws against the use of illegal drugs.
But what about car accidents? They take around 40,000 lives every single year. Can we ever really put an end to that?
Possibly, but it’s going to be difficult. The issue is that human error causes most accidents — up to 96% — and that issue is hard to combat. Manufacturers can only do so much to make cars physically safer. Lawmakers can only do so much to set safe driving rules. As long as people are going to break those rules and make mistakes, accidents will happen. Lives will be lost. People will suffer serious injuries.
Sometimes, the breaking of the rules is intentional, such as when someone chooses to drink and drive. Many times, though, it is a simple mistake. Someone runs a stop sign just because they didn’t see it. Someone causes a rear-end accident because they don’t realize just how slick a wet road is. These things happen. You can make laws about following distances and traffic control systems, but people will make mistakes entirely by accident, and that’s still going to lead to car crashes. As long as there are human drivers, this is just a risk that everyone is going to have to accept.
With no end to accidents in sight, those who get injured due to others’ mistakes need to know what legal options they have.