Addressing reckless driving on the roads is a nationwide problem states are faced with. Keeping roads safe is consistently a challenge for lawmakers and police. Reckless driving behavior generally refers to speeding, driving under the influence, or just being distracted while behind the wheel. Car accident fatalities are almost always associated with some form of reckless driving behavior, and states are starting to implement stricter traffic measures to combat this.
The current state of reckless driving behavior
According to 2022 data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just over 46,000 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Today, this number is expected to have stayed relatively stable. According to the same data, distracted driving accounted for approximately 7.78% of these fatalities. Distracted-driving is more often than not related to cellphone use when driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data highlighted how cellphone use while driving accounted for 12.1% of distraction-related fatal crashes in 2022.
The same 2022 data highlighted how speeding is one of the biggest concerns related to reckless driving behavior, with more than a quarter of fatal crashes (27.8%) involving speeding from the 2022 data. Second to this, is driving under the influence. A third of motor vehicle accidents in 2022 involved a driver who was legally considered to be under the influence of alcohol.
This state begins to implement harsh driving laws
In an effort to keep the roads safe, Minnesota is one state which is coming down hard on reckless driving behavior. In 2024, nearly 500 people were killed on the roads in reckless driving related incidents. This number has been on an upward rise since 2021 according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. To address this, Minnesota lawmakers are proposing two new pieces of legislation: HF 340 and SF 191.
HF 340 of Minnesota legislature is a new proposed piece of legislature which would modify the current legisilature which makes it a crime to flee a peace officer from the scene of a vehicle accident. It increases the penalties associated with this. An example of this is that the bill would make it a felony offence with a sentence of up to five years if you are proven to have fled from the scene in a culpably negligent manner.
SF 191 of Minnesota legislature was proposed in January of this year also modifies penalties for fleeing from a police offer while also violating traffic laws. Both these bills also involve the proposal of a $10,000 fine for fleeing from police. This would happen if you fled from the police and in doing so caused “unreasonable risk and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another.”
Making the roads safer worldwide
Reckless driving behavior is a significant problem not just in the US but worldwide. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), just under 1.2 million people are killed in car accidents every year. In addition, between 20 to 50 million people will suffer from a non-fatal injury as a result of a car accident. According to the same data by the WHO, road traffic injuries are also attributed as the leading cause of death for children and young adults between the ages of 5-29.
Across the pond, Tesla has faced challenges with releasing their Cybertrucks in Europe due to driving-related safety concerns. Despite the popularity of the vehicles in the US and the high safety scores they receive by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Cybertrucks do not meet European safety regulations and standards. This has caused Tesla’s to be banned in the continent, with European Cyberrtruck owners who import their vehicles not being allowed to drive them. Recently, a Cybertruck was seized in the UK on account of these safety concerns.
