Baton Rouge Drivers, Please Be Careful On The Road

Feb 23, 2017

Graph courtesy of the National Safety Council

A startling new survey was released earlier this month. The National Safety Council released estimates that show, for the first time in a decade, the number of motor vehicle fatalities for 2016 surpassed 40,000 for the year. This is a cause for concern, but this isn’t the most startling part. Something else in the survey has us asking Baton Rouge drivers to remain vigilant behind the wheel, always practice safety first, or more simply put, just please be careful on the road.

The reason the uptick in fatalities isn’t the most startling part as that there are multiple of factors that contribute to that number. For example, the cost of gas being down in 2016 meant more people would be on the road. Also, an improving economy meant more mileage by American drivers. While every motor vehicle fatality is a concern, the numbers weren’t surprising.

What was unexpected, were some of the responses given to the NSC’s Driver Safety Public Opinion Poll that accompanied the estimates. Just under 50% of respondents said they were comfortable texting either manually or through voice controls while driving. 64% said they were comfortable speeding. Most shockingly, 13% admitted to driving while impaired by marijuana and 10% admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Another startling part of the survey was the number of respondents who said they didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand the improved safety features of their vehicles. 17% said they don’t understand the features, 22% said they don’t trust the features work as advertised, and 39% said they don’t care to learn about the proper use of those features. If you are part of the 61% who does want to learn more about the safety features offered, please contact our team at Southpoint Volkswagen, and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.

While we know that Volkswagen drivers look for and appreciate the emphasis we put into the safety of our vehicles, we want to remind everyone that the vehicles are only as safe as the drivers behind the wheel. So, as the weather warms up in the coming months and more people hit the road for spring and summer trips, please remember that whether you’re headed to the beach in your convertible Beetle, or taking the family on summer vacation in your Passat, your safety and the safety of your family is our main concern.