We would like to report that 2014 will be the year when there are no driving fatalities in Illinois, but we won’t be able to do it. Despite the Illinois Department of Transportation’s “Driving Zero Fatalities to a Reality” campaign, there were 200 deaths from Illinois motor vehicle accidents between January 1, 2014 and April 22, 2014.
Why Is the Focus on Zero?
The Illinois Department of Transportation explains its campaign by emphasizing that every life counts. Even one death caused by a preventable accident is too many. It not only cuts short the life of someone who did not have to die, but it leaves family and friends grieving.
Thus, the state is encouraging drivers from the crowded Chicago Skyway to the rural parts of Illinois to work together to prevent car accidents. Everyone is encouraged to drive defensively, to drive without distractions, to drive sober, and to wear seat belts. While the goal of zero deaths is admirable, it depends on the cooperation of every single driver, which makes it difficult to achieve.
If Zero Is Unachievable, Why Try?
Not every driver is going to do what it takes to prevent a fatal car accident on I-90 or on the back roads. Yet when more drivers try, fewer fatalities may occur and fewer families may be left grieving.
As of April 22, 2014, there were 93 fewer deaths on Illinois roads than there were during the same period of 2013. That is a good thing, and if reaching for zero helps us save lives, it is a goal worth reaching for.
What do you think of the “Driving Zero Fatalities to a Reality” campaign? Please leave a comment in the space below and share your thoughts with us.
