We all know that driving is one of the most dangerous things we do. And, if we were asked, many of us would reply that we truly were safe drivers. But is that how the law sees it?
It’s a sad fact, but when it comes to driving, most of us break the law every day. We go too fast, get distracted, or fail to follow the highway code. In fact, there are so many laws, it’s almost impossible to avoid falling foul of at least one of them. Here are some statistics on what drivers are getting wrong.
Speeding
Most people who have gotten behind the wheel of a car have, at some point, broken the speed limit. With modern vehicles, it’s something that is just so easy to do. The ride is now so smooth and supple; you hardly notice you’re breaking the law.
Back in 2011, the New York Police Department issued statistics on how many people they’d caught going over the limit. In one year alone, the police issued more than 600,000 speeding tickets to drivers who were going too fast.
There’s a reason the police have got an axe to grind when it comes to speeding drivers. They’re responsible for a third of roadside fatalities according to the Governors Highways Association.
Drink Driving
Nearly 30 people in the US die every day as a result of drunk driving. That amounts to one death every 48 minutes. According to data from the CDC, more than 1.4 million drivers are arrested each year for driving under the influence. And drugs, other than alcohol are involved in 18 percent of cases.
Because driving under the influence is so prevalent, many people look no further for help with DUI claims. But the statistics on false DUI claims are equally shocking. The city of Chicago, for instance, was forced to pay two drivers falsely charged with DUIs more than $450,000.
Driving Without A Seatbelt
Today there are around 33 states that enforce seatbelt laws. That means that the police can stop drivers and charge them with a crime, even if they’re not breaking any traffic laws. Sixteen states also force occupants in back seats to wear seat belts too. So why are the authorities coming down so hard on people who choose not to wear seatbelts? According to the CDC, about 90 people a day die as a result of not belting up.
Using A Cell Phone
You might think that a ban on cell phone use while driving would be universal. After all, it’s been implicated in far higher rates of accidents. But cell phones aren’t banned universally across all states. Right now, there are laws in thirty-one states banning cellphone use by novice drivers. But the surprising thing is that only twelve states ban all drivers from holding their phones in their hands while driving. It should be noted, however, that all those states have primary enforcement laws. That means that a driver doesn’t have to be doing anything else wrong, other than using his or her phone.
