Traffic accidents take thousands of lives every year in Florida and across the United States. Nationwide, over 100 people are killed in roadway crashes every day, a number that points to a serious public concern about highway safety. As a result of these disturbing statistics, the National Safety Council has launched a new project, the Road to Zero Coalition, aiming to achieve zero traffic fatalities by 2050. While coalition spokespeople said that achieving zero deaths in car accidents may seem to be an impossible dream, they noted that setting the goal may play an important role in achieving a significant reduction in deaths.
The transportation safety project includes 675 members from different aspects of society, including government, safety researchers, trucking companies and industry associations. It released a report outlining ways to achieve its ambitious traffic safety goals. The coalition's formation was also prompted by the fact that car accident fatalities have been increasing after several years of decline. In 2016, the number of people who lost their lives in crashes rose by 5.6 percent, reaching 37,461. In addition to the increase in fatalities linked to passenger vehicles, large commercial trucks were also involved in a growing number of fatal crashes.In 2016, there was a 5.4 percent increase in trucking accident deaths, reaching a total of 4,317. The vast majority of these deaths involved the occupants of other, smaller vehicles. The coalition recommends a number of practices to increase roadway safety, including improving seat belt compliance and accelerating the use of advanced safety technologies.