Highway safety is a significant issue of concern for drivers on the streets in Virginia as well as state and local officials. Auto crashes can be the cause of devastating personal injuries, severe property damage and other major costs. The National Governors Association issued a report that aims to provide guidance and potential solutions to state governors working to help reduce the risk of traffic accidents on the roadways. The study focuses on the role that state governments can play in improving roadway safety, especially the importance of coordinating actions and efforts between different agencies and task forces.
Many departments in a single state often deal with issues related to road safety, including law enforcement agencies at state and local levels, regulatory administrations and others. The report notes that a state governor with a program related to highway safety can help to lead in uniting these various agencies to work together to cut the number of crashes, especially fatal accidents and injury crashes. The goal of the Governors Highway Safety Association and National Governors Association is for there to be zero fatalities due to car crashes.
In recent years, studies show an increase in dangers on the roads, and the issue has been identified as a significant concern to people across the country. In 2016, 37,461 lives were lost on American roads, representing an increase of 5.6 percent over the year before. These national numbers were reflected locally as 39 states reported an increase in traffic fatalities.
As governors act to address the issue of roadway safety at a high political level, a car crash can have serious consequences for an individual injured by another driver’s dangerous actions. People who have been hurt in motor vehicle accidents due to another’s negligent driving can work with a personal injury lawyer to seek compensation for the damages they suffered due to the accident.