US traffic deaths were at the highest around 1970 hitting about 53,000. Then even as the population climbed it started dropping. People claimed it was seat belts saving lives, other said it was the collapsing steering column and others still claimed crumple zones and getting rid to steel dashboard. You can argue all day about it. But there are a couple of things I think people forget to add in.
DUI: Been a real crackdown on drinking and driving. No, it's not 100% effective but it's helped by simply reducing the number of accidents.
Medical advancements. The big one is EMTs and Paramedics. Back in 1971 when I started driving most of America only had ambulance service. Cops didn't have OX and defib units in their cars either. Most people didn't know what CPR is. IMO thse advancements have saved more lives than the others combined.
While cell phones are being blamed on the increase of traffic deaths they too have saved lives. People who happen to survive an accident or witness one can call 911 right away. Precious minutes or more are saved because of this!
I really believe that more lives have been saved because of these 3 things than any other. The safety folks like to claim it's seatbelts and completely ignore any other thing except the crackdown on drinking and driving.
Was kinda funny but we had a big safety thing in the Army before I retired. They had a state trooper come in to give us a talk about both DUI and seatbelts. Guy said "50% of the people who died in traffic accidents he had responded to in his career had not been wearing seatbelts". When he ask for question I ask him if that meant that 50% of those who died had been wearing seatbelts. That mirrors hard to find safety studies that it seems they try to hide that say it's 50/50 weather a seat belt is going to save you life or not.
Yes, I wear my seat belt. Not because I'm convinced it's going to save my life, but because I don't want to pay a fine. I witnessed an accident a few years back. Father, 2 kids dead. Another kid lost his arm and mom was pretty banged up. None were wearing seatbelts. Would not have made a difference. A full sized SUV had gone through the medium, went airborne and hit their minivan head on. SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed in very icy conditions.
Right after I got my first cell phone in 95 (bag phone, remember those?) A car in front of me lost control and crashed. I called 911 and started to render first aid (was still on active duty so my skills were much higher than today). Took the nearest EMT's about 10 minutes to be on scene.
Not really funny but I tell people the only reason cops want you to wear a seatbelt is to keep them from walking an accident scene looking for bodies. IF they don't have to search they don't get their shoes dirty.
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Today's Featured Article - Listening to Your Tractor - by Curtis Von Fange. Years ago there was a TV show about a talking car. Unless you are from another planet, physically or otherwise, I don’t think our internal combustion buddies will talk and tell us their problems. But, on the other hand, there is a secret language that our mechanical companions readily do speak. It is an interesting form of communication that involves all the senses of the listener. In this series we are going to investigate and learn the basic rudimentary skills of understanding this lingo.
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