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Traffic Fatalities Rise
Aired April 24, 2003 - 14:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Death on the nation's highways. New numbers out show traffic fatalities at their highest level in more than a decade last year. Highway safety advocates are urging the government to do more.
CNN's Bob Franken is in Washington, where the area's mixing bowl can also be quite dangerous. Bob, tell us about the mixing bowl.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the nation's highways, Miles, are dangerous indeed.
First of all, safety officials are saying that if any other cause created 42,810 deaths a year, it would be regarded as a catastrophe. Well, it is in fact what is happening on our nation's highway. That is the largest, as you pointed out -- the largest death toll since 1990, actually. And people are astounded. People are saying there is going to have to be tougher enforcement of the laws.
There are a variety of contributing factors. Among them, the drunken driving. There is an increase of the number of people who have been driving drunk. And that of course has had the inevitable result, an increase in fatalities.
Also, fewer people are remembering to use their seat belts. There is also the creep and speed limits around the country. And something that the industry, of course, is going to object to and that is the contention, according to the federal government, that because more people are driving in minivans and SUVs, which turn over more, that has resulted in an increase in traffic deaths.
Also, one other thing: motorcycle death, an increase not because of the younger drivers -- there has actually been a decline -- but the older users of motorcyclists that don't have the reflexes they once had and haven't realized, that to their tragic end.
So there has been this increase. People are wondering what to do. People, they say, have such a cavalier attitude toward driving and driving safely and is being resulted by this tragic, tragic number of deaths on the highways -- Miles.
CNN's Bob Franken in Washington. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 24, 2003 - 14:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Death on the nation's highways. New numbers out show traffic fatalities at their highest level in more than a decade last year. Highway safety advocates are urging the government to do more.
CNN's Bob Franken is in Washington, where the area's mixing bowl can also be quite dangerous. Bob, tell us about the mixing bowl.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the nation's highways, Miles, are dangerous indeed.
First of all, safety officials are saying that if any other cause created 42,810 deaths a year, it would be regarded as a catastrophe. Well, it is in fact what is happening on our nation's highway. That is the largest, as you pointed out -- the largest death toll since 1990, actually. And people are astounded. People are saying there is going to have to be tougher enforcement of the laws.
There are a variety of contributing factors. Among them, the drunken driving. There is an increase of the number of people who have been driving drunk. And that of course has had the inevitable result, an increase in fatalities.
Also, fewer people are remembering to use their seat belts. There is also the creep and speed limits around the country. And something that the industry, of course, is going to object to and that is the contention, according to the federal government, that because more people are driving in minivans and SUVs, which turn over more, that has resulted in an increase in traffic deaths.
Also, one other thing: motorcycle death, an increase not because of the younger drivers -- there has actually been a decline -- but the older users of motorcyclists that don't have the reflexes they once had and haven't realized, that to their tragic end.
So there has been this increase. People are wondering what to do. People, they say, have such a cavalier attitude toward driving and driving safely and is being resulted by this tragic, tragic number of deaths on the highways -- Miles.
CNN's Bob Franken in Washington. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
