Strengthen North Dakota Driving Laws & Reduce Fatalities

While most residents believe North Dakota driving laws are safe, many know that car and truck accidents can happen anywhere, at any time and to anyone. Though politicians so far have done a relatively good job about holding reckless and negligent drivers responsible for their actions, some residents may feel that more needs to be done in order to prevent further injuries from occurring on the roads.

One might suggest that we look to other states where car accident fatalities are on the decline. Nearby states are currently seeing considerably less accident fatalities this year and are saying that they haven’t seen records this low since World War II. But what are these states’ politicians doing that is making their roadways so safe and is it something our own political figures should look into?

As many of our readers know, teenagers are often involved in more accidents across the nation that any other demographic. It’s because of this alarming statistic that many states have begun enforcing more restrictive laws for teen drivers. Everything from laws against cellphone use behind the wheel to vehicle occupancy restrictions have all resulted in a reduction of teen driver fatalities, which is definitely something our readers may want North Dakota law makers to consider as well.

While safer cars are also reducing the number of fatalities across the nation, the National Transportation Safety Administration says that increased seatbelt use may also be a factor. With the help of programs like Click it or Ticket, the current national average is sitting around 86 percent, but the agency admits this number could be higher and more lives could be saved if more people simply wore a seat belt.

Though these improvements might not prevent all accidents from occurring in the state, they might reduce the number of fatalities just like they have in other states. And as some of our readers will tell you, no one should have to suffer the loss of a loved one at the hands of a negligent driver, especially if that accident can be averted in the first place.

Source: The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, “Crashes, traffic fatalities wane in Wisconsin,” Lydia Mulvany, Aug. 4, 2013.