Many New York motorists are excited about the potential for automobile safety technologies that could help to significantly reduce the number of serious accidents. According to an analysis by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the growth of these technologies has the potential to reduce the upward trend in car crashes seen in the past seven years. Since 2011, there has been a 30 percent increase in motor vehicle accidents across the country, but the firm predicts that the rate will shrink significantly over the next 10 years.
According to the report, there were a number of reasons that the crash rate has escalated by 3 to 4 percent each year. Higher employment and the growing economy led to more miles being driven. At the same time, the prevalence of mobile technologies led to a spate of car accidents caused by distracted driving. Others have pointed to marijuana legalization as leading to a growing number of crashes. Despite all of these factors, the analysts predicted that advances in collision avoidance technologies would make driving safer once again.
In 2016, 91 percent of drivers owned smartphones, compared to only 52 percent in 2011. Around 29 percent of drivers used the internet behind the wheel in 2016, twice the rate of that same activity five years earlier.
While advanced technologies present the potential to cut accident rates by up to 40 percent in the coming years, car crashes continue to take a serious toll. People who have been injured in a car accident due to the negligence of another driver can work with a personal injury lawyer to seek compensation for their damages.