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Every 12 seconds in the U.S. someone will die in a car accident. A car accident injury can range from minor cuts and bruises to life threatening conditions. While there are many factors that can cause a car accident injury, a study considered the largest to date on crashes involving distracted drivers found that the highest number of accidents was caused by drivers looking at other accidents, traffic, or roadside incidents.
Laws have been changing to try to reduce the number of potential car accident injury factors. One recent development in auto safety has been in response to the high number of cell phone users on the road. Distractions from inside of a vehicle were attributed to 62 percent of car accidents and the increase of cell phone use may be contributing to car accident injury reports. In order to stop this trend from continuing, some states have already passed laws banning the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle.
Some car accident injury reports have been the result of recalled cars or auto parts. Most notably is the Ford/ Firestone tire recall resulting in nearly 200 deaths and 700 car accident injuries. After the recall was finally issued, Congress passed the Transportation, Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act, which was passed in hopes of better warning consumers about defective vehicles after manufacturers learned of them. The act was intended to help people avoid a car accident injury and crash and was to work by requiring new standards.
At the time of the TREAD Act, Congress also ordered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to carry out its mandates and allowed the agency access to additional funds and staff in order to make sure the law was being followed. In March 2004, the Public Citizen consumer group and the Center for Auto Safety filed a lawsuit against the NHTSA. There is a policy that allows motor vehicle manufacturers to limit certain safety recalls to vehicles sold or registered in select states, which means if you are residing in certain parts of the country you could be at a higher risk for a car accident injury.
A large number of car accidents are because of distracted drivers, but the Auto Safety Group of the Public Citizen exists to improve highway safety. There are many contributors to car accident injury reports that can be reduced by changing certain conditions, laws, and factors. The consumer group lobbies Congress to pass legislation and to monitor the Department of Transportation to ensure any demands or requirements made by Congress are being carried out. The group also has public awareness campaigns to increase awareness on important auto safety related issues. When action that the group deems necessary is not conducted, the group will pursue legal action as it did in March.
A Vermont man who suffered permanent injury in a 2005 auto accident has been awarded $21 million. The verdict is thought to be one of the largest ever handed down in the sta...