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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
9,560 people died in car accidents, which is a 7% increase
compared to the same time the year prior. In Illinois, an
estimated 276 traffic deaths took place during the first quarter
of this year, which marks a 22.7% increase from the same time in
2022.
"The Illinois State Police [have] identified four contributing
factors that increase the severity or cause fatal traffic
crashes in Illinois," Deputy Chief Public Information Officer
Sergeant Christopher Watson told The Center Square. "Those are
in no particular order: distracted driving, driving under the
influence, speeding and occupant restraint violations."
Since the pandemic, drivers are more prone to take risks behind
the wheel.
"Obviously, the faster you go, the more energy you're inputting
into the crash, it's going to cause more damage," Watson said.
"And when you overwhelm the systems in a car that are designed
to keep the occupants safe, then you are then causing damage to
human people."
Officials say the second half of the year is traditionally even
worse for traffic-related deaths. Illinois drivers should
practice situational awareness and consider slowing down when
the need arises.
"Where you're seeing additional factors such as snow and ice or
other weather factors or additional traffic that would cause
issues in the area, obviously, drivers should consider slowing
down at that point," Watson said.
Watson reminds drivers to use all the safety systems that come
with their vehicle as they are designed to work together.
"Can you get into a crash with your airbag not functioning
correctly and have your seat belt on and still survive that
crash? Absolutely.” Watson said. “We've been doing that for a
long time, but a lot of people get the misconception that, 'Oh,
I don't need my seatbelt on because I have airbags in the car.'
Well, it doesn't work that way, because the seatbelt is designed
to guide you into the airbag."
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