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“End the Epidemic of Traffic Injuries Now,” urges SafeKids in its “2020 Action Agenda.” As an introduction to its campaign, SafeKids reports that traffic deaths kill more than 1.2 million people around the world each year. It estimates that by 2030 traffic crashes will kill more people than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death of children ages 5 to 19. This represents more than 500 children killed worldwide every day and tens of thousands injured and suffering lifelong disabilities. 

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) reports that in the U.S. approximately 4 percent of all traffic fatalities are children and an estimated 172,000 children are injured annually. 

Children injured/killed in traffic collisions in Florida 

Law enforcement agencies across Florida report that during 2014, 68 children between the ages of birth and 14 years were killed in motor vehicle crashes, which accounted for 2.7 percent of all traffic deaths. 71 traffic-related deaths of teens and young adults ages 16 to 20 years accounted for 2.8 percent of all traffic deaths in the state. 

The primary causes of traffic crashes 

The Insurance Institute reports that the top three driver behaviors that are known to result in traffic fatalities and injuries are: 

Speeding: Speeding was a contributing factor in 28 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2014. 

Drunk Driving: 20 percent of children killed in motor vehicle crashes are killed by a drunk driver. 

Distracted Driving: In 2014, 3,179 people were killed in distraction-affected crashes, and 431,000 people were injured. 

What preventative measures work? 

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control), Safety.Transportation.org and the Indiana Injury Prevention Resource Guide recommend: 

• Buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half. 
• Increased enforcement of speeding laws, hefty fines, speed warning signs, and traffic calming road designs should be implemented to reduce speeding-related traffic crashes. 
• Stiff drunk-driving laws, sobriety checkpoints, ignition interlocks and license revocation for convicted drunk drivers. 
• Cell phone filters and apps that deter distractions for cell phones, increased public education and media awareness programs and bans on technologies that distract from driver attention. 
• Improving the safety features of vehicles. 
• Designing safer infrastructure and incorporating road safety features into land-use and transport planning. 
• Raising public awareness through public education and media campaigns. 

“At Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., we urge everyone to stop this preventable epidemic. Every day we see the results of auto accidents on the lives of children and their families. Should you or a loved one be injured in a vehicle accident, after obtaining medical attention, contact our experienced team of attorneys and crash experts,” said Fort Myers Auto Accident Attorney, Randall Spivey. 

Fort Myers Auto Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys. He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com. Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information. You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.