Vehicle Safety Vs Driver Safety

The recent mechanical problem in some of Toyota's models has subjected the company to much scrutiny by the media

. While some motor vehicle accidents and deaths are caused by mechanical failure, the media dramatically inflated the problem and transferred the blame from human error to mechanical failure.

There have been 15 deaths as a result of Toyota's sudden acceleration problem according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration while in 2008 there were over 35,000 deadly car accidents- most of which were caused by human error. With only a small fraction of deaths resulting from mechanical failure the Medias push for greater safety features does not adequately address our problems on the road. Improving automobile safety is never a negative notion but we need to focus on preventing the accidents before they occur and making the roads safer rather than only making the car safer. The attitude of American drivers needs to change so we may combat the over 6 million auto accidents happening every year. As a whole- most American drivers rate their driving skills above average- believing other drivers are the danger. This problem was addressed in a Washington Post survey recently... most of those polled believed there should be laws prohibiting text messaging and e-mailing while driving. And of those who believe these laws are necessary 25% admitted to engaging in this type of behavior behind the wheel.

Considering that the vast majority of auto accidents are caused by driver error it appears to be a common sense notion to focus more on driver safety than car safety. Laws have helped decrease the drunk driving problem and new laws appear to be easing the texting while driving epidemic, but obviously the laws fall flat with some individuals as these continue to be problems. This is where concerned groups such as MADD (Mothers Against Distracted Driving) and TADD (Teens Against Distracted Driving) come into play. Both MADD and TADD use a proactive method: talking about actual accidents and deaths that have resulted from drunk and distracted driving. By reaching out to people on a personal level and showing them the consequences: death and severe injuries, the groups help prevent distracted and drunken driving incidents and save lives.

These groups focus on the correct issue: driver safety over vehicle safety. MADD has been reducing drunk driving incidents for 30 years and though TADD is a newer group it is quickly moving forward to end cell phone use while driving. With groups like MADD and TADD working on the safety of drivers maybe we can feel safer in our vehicles as they are- without any safety modifications.

by:Jason G Epstein

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