The roads can be made safer for Colorado drivers both through changing driver behavior and improving safety technology. Driving a car is still one of the most dangerous activities most people engage in. In 2013, there were 32,719 fatalities related to motor vehicle accidents. There were 1.09 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles driven.
Based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, individuals could reduce their risk of an accident with a shorter work commute. Reducing a round-trip commute from 12 to 10 miles by moving 1 mile closer to work could bring down the chances of an accident from a 1 in 30,4000 probability to 1 in 36,500.
The NHTSA also studied the effects of safety technology between 1960 and 2012. Safety technology began to be mandated in 1968, but some manufacturers were already installing seat belts prior to that point. The study found that while an average of 11,575 lives were saved each year, the number of lives saved actually steadily increased yearly. In 2012, 27,600 lives were saved.
Some experts believe that self-driving vehicles could significantly reduce the number of deaths as well. If everyone had a self-driving vehicle, the number of deaths might be reduced by half.
Motor vehicle accidents, whether caused by driver error or a failure of safety technology or a combination of the two, may result in serious injuries. An individual who is injured in these accidents may have a significant recovery period, and this can affect family members as well. In addition to medical expenses, an individual may struggle to support dependents. The individual may want to speak to an attorney about the possibility of filing a civil suit against the responsible driver or a manufacturer if faulty parts caused the accident.