Approximately 44,450 people lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents in Florida and around the country in 2023 according to preliminary figures released by the National Safety Council on Feb. 26. That figure represents a modest 4% fall from the 2023 traffic accident death toll, but road fatalities remain worryingly high. The NSC has referred car accident deaths as a public health crisis, and the organization says that getting behind the wheel is the most dangerous thing that most Americans do.
Reckless behavior
The NSC report does not delve into the most common causes of deadly car accidents, but it does say that dangerous behavior like speeding, distraction and drunk driving is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year. Data released by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles supports the NSC’s position. In 2022, drunk drivers in the Sunshine State caused 388 fatal accidents that claimed 423 lives. Drivers exceeding the posted speed limit caused 188 deadly crashes in Florida in 2022.
The Safe System Approach
The NSC has urged lawmakers at the national, state and local level to adopt the Safe System Approach to road safety. This approach, which was adopted by the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2021, is a holistic method that seeks to reduce the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents by examining five key elements of safe transportation. These elements are improved training for road users, more effective speed management, safer vehicles, safer roads and more effective post-accident care.
Making the roads safer
Figures from the NSC predict that the 2023 traffic accident death toll in the United States surpassed 44,000. According to the nonprofit safety advocacy group, many of these deaths were caused by motorists who exceeded the posted speed limit, allowed themselves to become distracted or got behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.