Crash Test Dummies Can’t Determine Human Behaviour

Tacoma Washington—December 11, 2009 – Shawn Briggs, an Injury Lawyer in Tacoma Washington, sees many accident clients that are a result of driver distractions. Most accidents occur around holidays like the Fourth of July, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. It is something to be mindful of that can actually save lives and reduce injuries.

The dummy crash tests used to test the safety of drivers and vehicles have historically resulted in a safer vehicle and driving experience. Often fatalities on the nation’s highways can also result in an auto manufacturer reworking a design of a specific automobile which also eliminating dangerous situations. The dummies used in these controlled crash tests however are unable to factor in human behavior while driving like talking or testing on a cell phone, or reading a book or newspaper.

Accidents can happen in a split second so any type of distraction can cause a situation where there isn’t enough time to recover from danger.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distraction from the primary task of driving could present a serious and potentially deadly danger. In 2008, 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police-reported crashes in which at least one form of driver distraction was reported on the crash report.

Age groups with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group, 16% of all under-20 drivers in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving.

A study conducted at the University of Utah drew national attention that showed that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers. The study determined that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit” of 0.08 percent, which is the minimum level that defines illegal drunken driving in most U.S. states.

Cell phone usage continues to grow and become more pervasive so many states are enacting new laws about talking on a cell phone while driving. These new laws could have a positive outcome for drivers. The more aware drivers are of other drivers by staying focused on road conditions the more these statistics will move in a positive direction.

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