The U.K., Sweden, and the Netherlands generally use more automated speed enforcement (AES) systems, such as cameras, than the United States. As a consequence, speeding occurs much less frequently in the U.K. and the Netherlands than in the U.S. (though our Galveston car accident injury lawyers note that the Swedes seem to keep up with us very nearly in terms of speeding despite the threat of the AES systems). More frequent use of seatbelts and less frequent fatal roadway accidents also characterize the other three nations.
As an example, Joe Cildoz, Jr., a young man of 24, tragically lost his life in Temple, Texas on Thursday night when he was struck by a pickup truck while jogging beside Texas Highway 36 near Moffat. Texas DPS troopers suspect the fatal wreck by the pickup truck to be speed-related. The Galveston car accident injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC express their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. Joe Cildoz, Jr. (Source: Deborah McKeon, Temple Daily Telegram, 10/5/13)
In the United States, drivers exceed posted speed limits on local urban streets and on collector roads 74% of the time, compared to only 22% in the U.K. and 45% in the Netherlands. The data indicates that of the four countries studied, U.K. drivers drive more slowly and more safely than drivers from the other nations. This surprised me some. Those of you prone to frustration when caught behind a slow driver might want to make a note never to drive in the U.K. where your risk of road rage might be high due to the apparently slower driving habits of the locals.
Wisely, heavy vehicles like commercial trucks have special speed limits in the U.K., the Netherlands, and Sweden. Though our Galveston car accident injury lawyers point out that only 10 U.S. states follow the same policy. Speed limiters for heavy vehicles are compulsory in the three other nations, but not in the U.S.
Culture, Structure, and Procedure as Other Reasons for a Higher U.S. Fatal Crash Rate
The U.S. is a larger country than any of the other three nations studied in the UMTRI report. And U.S. city design is generally more recent than European urban designs and relies much more heavily on personal vehicles in order for residents to get around. As a result, the average number of miles driven per person in the United States each year is about twice the number of miles driven by residents of Sweden, the U.K., or the Netherlands. And the Galveston car accident injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC caution that more miles driven means a greater crash risk statistically.
Comparison data indicated that the greater number of miles driven in the U.S. caused 12,345 additional fatalities than in the U.K. But road network design, which provides more limited-access highways in the U.S. was responsible for 1,400 fewer fatalities in America. Overall, the study indicated that U.S. fatality rates per distance driven would need to be a full 66% lower for Americans to benefit from the same safety levels on the roads as people in Sweden, the U.K., or the Netherlands.
Recommendations of the Researchers for Increased Safety on U.S. Roads
(Source: Why is Road Safety in the U.S. not on Par with Sweden, the U.K., and the Netherlands?, Lessons to be Learned, UMTRI, Juha Luoma and Michael Sivak, January 2013)
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