We read recently a letter in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from the president and CEO of the National Safety Council. Deborah A.P. Hersman wrote to urge Missouri legislators to focus more attention on reducing the number of motor vehicle accidents, injuries and fatalities.
Hersman says there’s already a map in place for directions to safety. It’s called the Road to Zero. It’s a coalition of organizations dedicated to reducing traffic fatalities to zero by 2050. Is it possible to reach that lofty goal? The coalition insists that it is indeed possible, and that we already have the tools with which to do it.
One strategy Hersman and the National Safety Council urge us to adopt is to double down on the safety measures that already work. In her letter to the Post-Dispatch, she mentioned motorcycle helmet laws, but the Council also urges states to strengthen seat belt laws and distracted driving laws, photo enforcement at intersections and construction of roundabouts. The Road to Zero Coalition also urges Missouri and other states to conduct road sobriety checkpoints that help reduce the numbers of drunk drivers.
As you know, Missouri has had repeated battles over this issue, with some fierce opposition to the checkpoints as well as pressure from groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers to make wider use of the sobriety checks.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car wreck with an impaired or distracted driver, you can speak with an attorney experienced in fighting for compensation and justice in personal injury litigation.
