In 2016, Kentucky saw an increase of over 50 percent in traffic deaths involving car crashes. According to KSP Troopers, there have been a total of 180 fatalities statewide last year. 2016 is now considered as one of the deadliest years in the past decade on Kentucky’s highways.
Troopers added that there are several things that contributed to such increase, such as not wearing seatbelts, driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and distracted driving. They revealed that half of the people who died in car crashes were not wearing their seatbelt.
Jefferson County was the deadliest county, followed by Fayette County. In Louisville, there were 97 fatalities while Lexington had 51.
Statistics
- Over 200 of the 810 people killed in 2016 were between 16 and 29 years old.
- In the first half of 2016, U.S. traffic deaths increased by an estimated 10.4 percent.
- In 2015, the National Safety Council estimated that 38,000 people died and 4.4 million got injured on U.S. roads.
- Todd County, South Dakota experienced the highest mortality rate from transportation-related injuries in 2014. New York County, on the other hand, had the lowest mortality rate.
Major Causes of Traffic Deaths
As mentioned earlier, most traffic deaths in Kentucky are caused by not wearing seatbelts, impaired driving, and distracted driving.
It has been 10 years since Kentucky’s seat belt law has become a “primary” or standard enforcement law. This means that law enforcement officers can immediately stop a vehicle for an occupant restraint violation. But despite this, many drivers and even passengers ignore the importance of wearing seat belts. As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I have always urged motorists to wear seat belts every time they are on the road. Doing such has been proven to be effective in reducing the risk of death and injury in vehicle crashes.
Meanwhile, drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher are considered alcohol-impaired by law. To reduce drunk driving deaths, policing agencies across the state are enforcing the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. The latter conveys the message that you should drive only when sober, otherwise you have to face legal consequences.
In 2014, Kentucky had more than 53,500 crashes resulting in over 14,000 injuries and 169 deaths due to distracted driving. Distraction can be in different forms, such as use of electronic devices, reading, eating, using music controls, and grooming. All of these things can wait; never lose focus while driving.
If we would just wear our seat belts every time we drive, stay focused on the road, and drive sober, traffic deaths in Kentucky would definitely decrease.