AAA challenges motorists to examine driving behavior

1/4/2012

Although motor vehicle safety is improving every year, advocates are urging drivers not to simply sit back and let technology reduce the number of accidents. AAA recently challenged all motorists to think about their behavior behind the wheel and make sure that they are doing all they can to reduce road fatalities.

Recent data from the Department of Transportation found that 2010, the last year in which statistics are available, was the best in 60 years in terms of fatalities. However, AAA still points to harmful driver behavior, like drunk driving or texting, which is contributing to accidents.

"Even one death on our roads is unacceptable," AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety President and CEO Peter Kissinger said in a statement. "Something is terribly amiss in our traffic safety culture when, in the safest year since 1949, on average there is still one needless death every 16 minutes in motor vehicle crashes. To reach zero deaths each driver must take a moment to assess his driving habits and ask, 'when it comes to safe driving, am I part of the problem or part of the solution?"

Driver behavior is a big part of vehicle safety, but car owners also need to be responsible for the mechanical side of things as well. Regular auto maintenance, such as brake service and repair, can dramatically reduce your risk of accident on the road due to a mechanical failure.