Wyoming residents have seen firsthand the impact opiates are having on some communities. There is evidence that the national opioid epidemic is affecting the national highway system. In car crashes, at drivers fault were twice as likely to be on opiates than those who did not initiate the crash.
Winter driving in Wyoming can be treacherous
Winter temperatures in Wyoming often plunge into the teens, and many cities in the state will receive more than 100 inches of snow before the spring thaw. Figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation reveal that accidents on roads covered in slush, ice or snow kill more than 1,300 road users each year and injure a further 116,800, but the risks of an icy crash can be reduced significantly by slowing down, maintaining safe distances and driving defensively.
Study reveals disturbing data on teen distracted driving
Just in time for Teen Driver Safety Week (October 20 to 29, 2016), researchers have released the results of a study involving teens and distracted driving. Parents in Wyoming should raise awareness of the danger of distractions among their teenage children, especially the danger of phone use.
Road rage incidents are becoming alarmingly common
Government crash data and the results of several studies suggest that drivers in Wyoming and around the country are becoming increasingly angry and aggressive. The number of deadly motor vehicle accidents caused by enraged motorists has increased exponentially according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and researchers from the nonprofit advocacy group Trace found that incidents involving drivers brandishing guns or firing into other vehicles increased by 373 to a worrying 620 between 2014 and 2016.
How cameras can help reduce red-light running crashes
The year 2017 saw a 10-year high in the number of people killed in red-light running crashes. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety states that more than two people die every day in the U.S. in such crashes. Drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists in Wyoming will want to be on their guard because most drivers who run red lights do so not because they're distracted but because they're reckless and impatient.
Subaru Crosstrek in more at-fault crashes than any other car
Insurify, an auto insurance comparison site, has analyzed more than 1.6 million insurance quotes in order to find out which vehicle models are involved in the most at-fault crashes in Wyoming and across the U.S. It compiled a list of 10 vehicles, nine of which are imports: seven from Japan and two from Korea. At the top of the list was the Subaru Crosstrek.
Women more likely than men to be injured in car crashes
Wyoming readers may be surprised to learn that women are much more likely to be injured in car accidents than men are. Research has shown the phenomenon is related to the fact that auto manufacturers design their safety technologies to protect male bodies while largely ignoring their performance on female bodies.
Human error the most common reason for crashes
Many Wyoming residents have been involved in car accidents. While most crashes can be considered minor with little damage and few injuries, some major accidents can even be fatal. With car crashes, human error is the most common cause, which means that many of these incidents are also preventable if drivers are vigilant and follow traffic rules.
DUI fatalities peak on the Fourth of July
All too often on the roads of Wyoming, drunk drivers are causing crashes and sometimes killing themselves or others. The average summer day sees an average of 26 people die in DUI crashes across the U.S. However, that risk for a fatal DUI crash goes up nearly 60% on the Fourth of July. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Independence Day is the deadliest of the major U.S. holidays.
Drivers laud the safety benefits of crash prevention features
Vehicles featuring advanced safety systems are becoming increasingly popular in Wyoming and around the country, and a survey conducted in 2018 by the marketing research firm J.D. Power suggests that most vehicle owners are convinced that features like automatic braking systems, backup cameras and blind spot monitors help to prevent accidents. More than half of the drivers polled who purchased cars equipped with these systems told researchers that they had helped them to avoid a crash during their first three months of ownership.
