The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety have come out with a valuable report focused on the safest and most dangerous states across the country, and despite what people used to Los Angeles traffic jams may think about the state of traffic safety, California fared pretty well.
To compile their findings, the agency looked at the impact that the adoption of various regulations had on fatalities throughout the state. They did this by analyzing data and determining how many lives could have been saved were various laws passed. In California, for instance, they discovered that just short of 1,200 people had their lives saved by the usage of seatbelts; nearly 100 more could have survived crashes if they had their seatbelts on.
But it’s not just seatbelts. California achieved the highest “green” rating largely due to its implementation and enforcement of other laws that are deemed crucial to safety. Throughout the state, drivers are prohibited from using their cellphones to text or carry on a conversation. Teenagers are subjected to stricter laws in this regard and others than are older drivers, and there are also regulations in place to cut down on intoxication at the wheel.
The report discovered that there were two vital laws that a lot of states have not put into place, and each is related to teens. Those laws involve limits on nighttime driving and an increased age limit for a learner’s permit.