Many drivers in various areas of the country assume that their roads are some of the most unsafe in the country. While it’s true that every area has its fair share of unsafe drivers, there are some specific statistics that show that Mississippi drivers have some very unsafe practices.
One of the biggest preventable hazards is failing to wear a seat belt. Across the nation, an average of 90.1% of individuals wear their seat belt; however, that percentage falls to only 77.9 in Mississippi. If everyone in this state would wear their seat belt, approximately 121 lives could be saved each year. Around half of people who are killed in vehicle wrecks aren’t buckled up.
Around 18% of traffic deaths in this state are due to impaired driving. This is another preventable cause of death because drivers could opt to take other forms of transportation after they’ve had alcohol.
Another preventable cause of crashes is distraction. Drivers who are using a mobile device are four times more likely than other drivers to get into a serious wreck. It doesn’t take a long distraction to make this happen. To make or receive a text takes an average of 4.6 seconds. In that short time, the vehicle will travel the length of a football field if it is moving at 55 miles per hour.
In 2010, the economic cost of vehicle wrecks was around $242 billion in this country. That figure has risen due to inflation, and it shows how serious these crashes can be. Victims of wrecks can choose to seek compensation from the driver who struck them. This helps to shift the financial burden to the negligent party instead of requiring the innocent victim to pay the costs.