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New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers Believe Newer Cars Have More Safety Benefit
New Jersey personal injury lawyers note that accident injury and fatality growth rates are at their lowest levels since record-keeping officially began. In recent years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported significant declines in traffic fatalities. The agency recently studied how much vehicle safety technology has contributed to improved safety on our roads.
Not surprisingly, the study found that newer cars are equipped with safety technologies that help keep motorists and passengers safe. In fact, over a ten-year period, vehicles became significantly safer. The possibility of an accident per 100,000 driving miles dropped from 30% in a 2000 model car to approximately 25% in a 2008 model car.
Likewise, the possibility of avoiding injuries in a traffic accident increased from 79% in a 2000 model car to 82% in a 2008 model car. In 2009, fatality and injury rates dropped to record levels, with just 1.14 accident fatalities and 75 injuries per 100 million vehicle miles driven. 10 years ago, that rate was 1.55 fatalities and 120 injured people per 100 million vehicle miles.
The analysis found that the safety benefits of newer cars cover not just sedans and small passenger vehicles, but also sports utility vehicles and light trucks and vans.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concludes that it is worthwhile to pay extra for a newer automobile that contains more safety technologies. Many New Jersey personal injury lawyers also believe that safety features in newer automobiles, and not radical changes in motorist behavior, are the reason why traffic fatalities have declined.
The New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Helmer Paul Conley and Kasselman represent persons injured in automobile accidents across New Jersey.
