The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is the federal agency responsible for investigating why traffic accidents happen and offering suggestions to reduce them. Each year it issues a list of recommendations covering improvements it would like to see instituted.
While the NTSB uses the term “accident,” when you look at the crash causes it discovers, you will see that most of the cases are not accidents at all. They instead resulted from poor decisions that someone made.
What road safety measures did the NTSB recommend in 2021?
The NTSB made five automobile-related recommendations for this year. Two are something drivers can do something about right now. Government officials must take care of the other three:
- Stopping distracted driving: The agency has demanded that states completely ban drivers from using electronic devices while driving for years. Yet, so far, no state has done this. They emphasize that even if your device is hands-free, it can distract your mind from driving.
- Stopping impaired driving: Lawmakers continue to ignore the federal agency’s requests to lower drivers’ maximum blood alcohol content. Yet, a drunk driver cannot blame the lack of stringent laws if they have a crash. There are still countless individuals that operate a vehicle after drinking every day here in the U.S.
- Making collision avoidance technology mandatory: There are plans to do this through the infrastructure bill that politicians are currently debating. If drivers were less distracted, then such technology potentially wouldn’t be necessary.
- Cracking down on speeding: Federal officials advocate for increased use of speed governors and better driver education, among other things.
- More effort to protect vulnerable road users: Our road system is designed for drivers. Making things convenient for them comes at a cost to people who travel by foot or bicycle. The NTSB suggests that priorities need to change.
If a driver injures you, then it is essential to understand the contributing factors to your crash, as this may impact how much compensation you may be entitled to in your case.
