You Might Be the Only Good Driver in Philadelphia

A local Philadelphia government sponsored website reported that in 2009, Philadelphia County recorded 10,000 automobile accidents while Potter County reported only 100 accidents. The site continued by making the astute deduction: It seems there is a distinct correlation between the population of the county and the number of crashes.

You will find no argument here, except to say, of course.

You against them

Philadelphia County has a population of approximately 1.5 million but the metropolitan area consists of about 6 million people. Nearly 2 million licensed drivers are free to enter expressways, highways, boulevards, and neighborhood streets. So, what kind of drivers are you facing every day as you drive in the Philadelphia area?

According to a recent article on CNN.com, based on our population base, here is what you might encounter:

  • Speeding 20 MPH over the limit 40% of all drivers or 800,000 drivers
  • Tired drivers 45% of all drivers or 900,000 drivers
  • Intoxicated drivers 15% of all drivers or 300,000 drivers
  • Texting while driving 34% of all drivers or 680,000 drivers

According to an Allstate survey, most of the people above claim to be good drivers. So, not only are you facing thousands of dangerous drivers every day, they are also in denial about the danger of their driving habits.

Taken to its ridiculous conclusion, you face the distinct possibility of having your life drastically altered by a person who believes they are a good driver even though they are intoxicated, speeding, tired, and texting.

The best time to feel guilt

The Internet is rife with stories and confessions of drivers riddled with guilt after killing or injuring someone while attempting to drive while impaired by the above conditions. The guilt usually sets in when they see the consequences of their actions or maybe not until the jury states guilty as charged but by then it is too late for guilt to do any good.

Even though we may be a society that has declined to accept guilt as a legitimate emotion in our day-to-day activities, perhaps we should rethink that. Maybe we should feel guilty for texting while driving or driving while intoxicated, tired, or speeding. Instead of feeling lucky when we narrowly avert an accident, perhaps we should see that as our final warning and commit to discontinue our risky behavior.

Clouded judgment

Drunk driving has certainly been on the radar in the last 30 years. Not to defend drunk drivers, but at least they can say their judgment was impaired before they got behind the wheel.

What is the judgment excuse of people who text and drive? Is it because they feel an overriding need to connect right now?

A recent study equated tired driving with drunk driving. Many people probably believe that a couple Red Bulls or a large coffee will do the trick but driving tired and wired is still impaired driving.

Speeding has been a problem for as long as cars and even horses have existed. Speeding is usually associated with either arrogance or failure to pay attention.

What to do after your accident

Let’s cross our fingers that you will beat the odds that you will someday be in a traffic accident. If you aren’t lucky, it is likely that the person who caused the accident was impaired in some way. If you are injured, you will want fair and just compensation for your injuries.

Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in Philadelphia Today To Get Help With Your Case

To learn more and get the help you deserve, call Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers at (215) 875-7030 or contact us online.
You can also visit our law firm at 123 S Broad St #1220, Philadelphia, PA 19109.