With the holidays approaching and many people taking to the roads to visit family and friends, we thought it a good time to provide some highway safety data from Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do (And What It Says About Us), by Tom Vanderbilt. If you haven't read Traffic, get a copy and read it this weekend as you stay inside to avoid the rain. It's a tremendously interesting book that uses clear, accessible language to explain research on all aspects of life affected by motor vehicles and roads, including why it's best to form a single line when traffic merges from one lane down to two, the astonishing extent to which people are unaware of what's going on around them as they drive, and why roundabouts are safer than traffic signals.
The part of the book we'll focus on concerns the risk factors that contribute to traffic accidents.
- Speed: People in an accident at 50 miles per hour are fifteen times more likely to die than they are at 25 miles per hour
- Alcohol: Alcohol slows reflexes and diminishes the brain's ability to evaluate risk
- Gender: Men are more likely across all age groups to be involved in auto accidents
- Age: Teenagers are involved in more crashes because they lack experience behind the wheel, underestimate risk, and engage in activities that distract their attention, like talking on a cell phone
- Rural, non-interstate roads: The rate at which accidents occur is higher on country roads than it is on city streets
So as you enjoy time with family and go to end of the year parties, take it slow and be safe while on the roads. A little caution and some common sense can prevent injury, avoid entanglement with law enforcement, and make for a happy holiday season.
