We love our cars! They are a happy part of our American way of life. They give us a lot of freedom, and they are necessary for conducting much of our business.
Unfortunately, despite our many traffic safety rules, speed limits, etc., nearly 33,000 of us died on our nation’s streets and highways in 2010.
But with that bad news, there is the good news that traffic deaths are declining, even as our population and the number of cars on the road have increased.
The 2010 traffic death toll was the lowest since 1949, back when Harry Truman was president.
We have safer streets and highways nowadays. In many ways, our cars are safer, too.
But the biggest influence on traffic fatalities is said to be “the nut that holds the wheel.” Maybe more of us are not being so “nutty” by speeding and generally being careless as we drive our beloved cars.
But whatever the reasons (and surely they are many), we are glad to have the news that fewer of us are dying in vehicular accidents.
Now just consider the additional anguish and heartbreak that could be avoided if all of us were more careful drivers, thus killing and injuring fewer of our fellow motorists.