Informative speech

Avoiding Car Accidents

Nearly 315 thousand people died in car accidents in the USA in the year 2011. Since the arrival of cars into the American household as a commodity this number has been on the rise. According to British researcher K. Rumar, 57% of crashes are caused by errors on the part of the driver, 27% were due to dirver 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. As we can see from this data, the overwhelming majority of car accidents are caused by only human driver factors. But what exactly are these factors? What can we do to make ourselves more safe on the road and while driving? How can we ensure that while we are behind the wheel we are of minimum risk to those around us? 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%.

Surveys have shown that many people (the majority in fact) think that they are better than average when it comes to their driving abilities and almost all of the people who had been in a car accident did not admit being guilty openly and instead blamed another person or factor for their accidents. In th is same survey, 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. While these are all good characteristics to have, it still does not explain why there are so many accidents on the roads today.

In America, the top three causes of car accidents and car accident deaths are impaired driving, speeding and distracted driving. Impaired driving can include any number of impairments, but usually and most consistently these include drugs and alcohol. In 2010, more than 1.4 million drivers went to jail and were arrested for driving drunk or being suspected of doing so. Driving drunk impairs the driver's ability to function properly behind the and makes them a danger to themselves and more importantly to all of the other other people who are sharing the roadway with them. 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. Some ways to avoid intoxicated driving are to choose a designated driver or calling a taxi when it becomes apparent to you or the people around you that driving could make you put the lives of some people in danger.

Speeding is another serious offense when it comes to accidents and deaths related to cars. The US Department of Transportation has speculated that almost 1 in 3 car accidents has some factor of speeding involved. This can be going too fast to make a turn, pass or even slow down or stop in time to avoid an obstacle. There are speed limits posted for a reason and by observing them we can make the roads a safer place, especially since the faster you go, the greater the force of impact and the more destructive/deadly power your vehicle will have. This is especially important in residential areas because in these areas there are children and others walking in the street and it only takes an impact at of 40 miles per hour to kill a pedestrian 80% of the time.

The final and most common cause of accidents and driving-related deaths is that of distracted driving. Distracted driving can be anything from playing around on a cell phone to eating to brushing your hair. All of these things take the driver's attention off of the wheel and make it extremely hard to drive effectively and safely. Since we have started getting cell phones (especially cell phones) driving distracted has become much more appealing and easy. We can always find a reason to be on our phones with our eyes off of the road such as using a GPS, texting or checking our Facebook messages. While all of these things may seem important, nothing is more important than the safety of yourself and others on the road with you. In 2011, the National Safety Council released a study stating that 1.6 million crashes involved a driver distracted on a cell phone each and every year. Anything we are doing on our phones while driving can wait. And if it can't, then we should pull off to the side of the road to do it there not on the road where we can be negatively affected or even killed by the consequences. Many states have (such as California) have banned the use of cell phones in cars for any purpose.

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.