Navigating Mississippi's Dangerous Roads and Avoiding Car Crash Fatalities: "Buckle Up, Mississippi. It's the Law!"
The failure to slow down and buckle up can have widespread (and costly) ramifications at anytime, but this is, apparently, especially true when you find yourself traversing Mississippi's roads and highways. A recent study published in Reader's Digest found that Mississippi indeed has some of the nation's most dangerous roads, with a majority of car accidents occurring due to speeding and improper safety measures. In fact, the statistics show that with approximately 27 road deaths per 100,000 Mississippians, the state languishes at the bottom of the list in the U.S. when it comes to safe roads.
Personal injury lawyers, however, know that while speeding and lack of seatbelt usage are the primary culprits, it is actually a combination of conditions/events that account for Mississippi's "dangerous" status. These additional reasons include distracted driving, poorly lit rural roads and insufficient maintenance.
Still, more than half of those who perished while driving on Mississippi's roads in 2010 were not wearing a seatbelt. In response to the alarming numbers of deceased who perished while not wearing a seatbelt, Mississippi joined the nation in implementing a program specifically targeted at encouraging motorists to buckle up. In fact, the aptly named "Buckle Up, Mississippi!" program, and law requiring motorists to fasten their belts, seems to have experienced a certain amount of success.
