As someone working in law enforcement, it pays to understand predictive behavior. Knowing about the top causes of traffic deaths, that are not related to speeding, is one such area to focus on. It is important to identify and predict if a driver is likely to be in a non-speeding fatal accident.
Causes of Traffic Deaths Unrelated to Speeding
The primary reasons that drivers end up in fatal accidents are related to more than just driving too fast for conditions. Here are several causes of traffic deaths that are unrelated to speeding.
Distracted Driving
Drivers are most often distracted these days. Cell phones and mobile devices are the leading offenders, but talking to passengers and loud music can also be problematic. Even if multitasking is someone’s strong suit, it is critical that drivers keep their eyes on the road and their mind on driving safely.
Following Too Closely
Drivers may tend to follow too closely behind other drivers in their vehicles, which can increase the chances of a rear-ending accident. In 2019, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) found that 32% of all motor vehicle crashes that resulted in serious injuries involved rear-end collisions. This can also be considered aggressive behavior, escalating road rage incidents that lead to reckless and dangerous behavior.
Driving While Intoxicated
Drivers who drink alcohol, use prescription drugs, or are intoxicated have always been a huge problem for the safety of roadways. This continues today with plenty of drivers driving under the influence. Yet, every 50 minutes there is a death due to alcohol-impaired driving. This equates to 29 deaths per day, according to the CDC and Motor Vehicle Safety reports.
Unsafe Driving Behaviors
If someone is running through red lights and rolling past stop signs, these are signs that a driver is exhibiting risky behavior. Risky and aggressive driving is reckless and puts everyone at risk, including other drivers, pedestrians, and motorcyclists.
Driver Fatigue
Fatigue is a leading cause of driver fatalities. Driving while drowsy, either from natural causes or due to a health condition, puts drivers at risk for fatalities. The National Safety Council reports 6,400 deaths a year are the result of driving while sleepy.
Crash Deaths on the Rise in 2021
The rate of car crash deaths has increased dramatically in the time since the pandemic. While lockdown stress may have played a huge factor in this increase, the trend seems to be continuing, due to bad driving behaviors, including the problems listed above.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported today that 42,915 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021. [This is] the most since 2005 and an average of 117 deaths every day. Crash deaths rose by 10.5 percent in 2021 compared to the year before.., it [is] the largest ever annual percentage increase in the nearly five-decade history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System,” according to Washington, DC and Russ Martin of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Martin is the senior director of policy and government relations in regard to the public highway system. Finding ways to prevent crash deaths is instrumental to saving lives for law enforcement.
Why Choose Kustom Products for LIDAR
Kustom Signals provides tools to help identify drivers exhibiting these behaviors. Handheld LIDAR LaserCam 4 and ProLaser 4 can help your fleet capture these behaviors live and on the scene.
The LaserCam 4 features the highest level of 36x optical zoom. Keep in mind that most competitive LIDAR cameras do not even have optical zoom. This is a huge benefit for video capture of registration plates and fine details like the make and model of a vehicle.
LaserCam 4 helps capture video evidence of behaviors like seatbelt violations, distracted driving, other traffic infringements. The LaserCam 4 not only sees into cars, but also has a long range yoke to extend the range even further. Polarizing filters improve visibility through windshields.
ProLaser 4, along with the LaserCam 4, features optional accessories. These include an IR torch for night vision and camera recordings, as well as a variety of long-range optical lenses. By adding accessories to your LIDAR camera, you increase its usability in the field.
In addition to helping with speed enforcement, the ProLaser 4 has a Following Too Close feature that will allow officers to determine when a driver is failing to keep a safe distance from another vehicle.
The LaserCam 4 and ProLaser 4 are both available from Kustom Signals.