Drivers Aside, Our Highways Are Getting Safer

You may have experienced any or all of them on the roads within the past weeks. There’s “Make Up Mary” who has the tendency, if not the talent, to put on makeup while driving at 45 miles per hours. There’s Terry Texter who is so focused on what’s on his screen he has no idea there’s room enough for three cars in front of him at the red light. Perhaps you’ve met or at least seen Paula Pullout who can’t wait to get in front of you and slow down or Non-Stop Steve who believes stop signs and red lights are optional. Yes, inspite of an increasing amount of safety features and technology, drivers continue to be more distracted and quite frankly, worse than ever.

What is ironic, however, is that while these distracted and poor drivers may be aggravating, our highways are actually getting safer. Yeah, who would have thought. Not just a little bit either. In 1972, for example, 54,589 people died on the nation’s highways. That number hasn’t reached above 38,000 in over the past dozen years. That’s pretty remarkable considering the number of Makeup Mary’s, Terry Texter’s, Paul Pullout’s and Non-Stop Steve’s on the road. The difference? First, our cars are safer. The other major reason is our roads are safer.

We may not notice it because changes are often subtle, but our roadways are constantly getting better. These positive changes are making a difference, one by one. Here are some of the things you may or may not have noticed.

• More brilliant, visible and reflective street paint that makes lines and directional markers more visible especially at night.
• Easy to see traffic lights that are focused to be more directional and can be seen further away.
• Reflective markers placed into center strips.
• Serrated pavement along the right side of the road that provide a physical and audible signal when a vehicle is leaving the road.
• More concrete barriers designed to prevent crossovers into oncoming traffic
• Safer barriers around bridge abutments and graduated and curved guardrail ends.
• Breakaway road signs that also are easier to read.
• Better highway lighting.
• Upgraded entry/exit ramps that are less intense.

Combine these and others with upgraded in-car safety features and we are seeing the positive results.

Safer roads can lead to lower auto insurance rates but to find out you must compare. It starts with a call to one of our independent insurance agents. They can “shop around” for you, comparing rates to find you the best value. Contact us and get the auto insurance you deserve.