Speech class

Avoiding Car Accidents

· Introduction

· Nearly 315 thousand people died in car accidents in the USA in the year 2011.

· According to British researcher K. Rumar, 57% of crashes are caused by errors on the part of the driver, 27% were due to driver and roadway factors combined, 6% are due to combined roadway and driver factors, 3% to combined roadway, driver and vehicle factors, 2% due to only vehicle factors and 1% to combined vehicle and road factors.

· By being an aware driver, we can maximize our safety on the road and hopefully reduce the 57% number to one that is closer to 0%.

· Thoughts about driving

· Many people think they are better than average drivers

· People do not think accidents are their fault.

· People were asked what the characteristics of a good driver are. Their responses include: good awareness of the car and space around it, being able to adjust driving according to current conditions and being able to be alert and responsive in many situations on the road.

· Impaired Driving

· Impaired driving can include any number of impairments, but usually and most consistently these include drugs and alcohol.

· One major reason to avoid driving impaired is the sheer expense of a citation for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving while Intoxicated (DI) can cost you, often being more than $10,000 on the first offense, not to mention the incredible increase in the cost of car insurance for the convicted driver.

· Speeding

· Almost 1 in 3 car accidents has some factor of speeding involved.

· I only takes an impact at of 40 miles per hour to kill a pedestrian 80% of the time.

· Distracted Driving

· Distracted driving can be anything from playing around on a cell phone to eating to brushing your hair.

· 1.6 million crashes involved a driver distracted on a cell phone each and every year.

· Conclusions

· Anything which impairs or hurts our ability to be a good driver and avoid accidents is dangerous to our safety and the people around us.

· By being careful with impaired or distracted driving and speeding, the number of driver-related accidents and deaths can be greatly reduced and the roads can be a safer place for everyone.