Stat Corner
These facts translate into a simple synopsis: Too many Americans are losing their lives on American roads, and the numbers are increasing despite safer vehicles and stricter enforcement of driving laws; road improvements such as upgrading two-lane roads to four-lane roads, adding medians to roads, widening lanes and modifying bridges can drastically reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities incurred each year.
- More than 40,000 Americans are killed every year in traffic accidents.
- The number of traffic fatalities has increased for the past three years, after declining from 1988-1992.
- In 1994, 77 percent of fatal accidents occurred on two-lane roads, which carried 51 percent of total travel.
- The fatality rate on roads with four-lanes or more is less than half it is for two-land roads.
- Traffic fatalities decreased by 71 percent when medians were added to roads, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
- Widening a lane has been found to reduce fatalities by 21 percent, and widening or modifying a bridge can reduce fatalities by 49 percent.
- The Road Information Program (TRIP) estimates that about three-fourths of the nation’s 159,000 miles of major roads consist of two lanes. And although the nationally recommended width for a lane to be considered safe is 12 feet, 15 percent of the nation’s major roads have lanes less than 12 feet in width.
Source: Car Care Council, 1996
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NACE Pre-Show Coverage
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How's Your Business? || Taking Your Scan Tool To The Next Level
Cruising Instead Of Abusing || Putting The Brakes On Payroll Headaches
What’s Ahead For The Collision Industry?
Guest Editorial -- The Mouse That Roared
Tech To Tech || TechTips || Stat Corner || News Briefs
Taking The Hill || Directions || Chairman's Message
AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLIV No. 11, November 1996