Seattle Injury Lawyer Blog
We frequently write about the hazards associated with distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving and aggressive driving. However, these preventable hazards are not the only causes of accidents on American roads. Sometimes accidents are caused by poor weather conditions and by unsafe road conditions. And sometimes, car accidents are caused by debris, defective auto parts and loose auto parts that have essentially turned into debris.
Recently, a crash occurred on an East Coast highway because a loose tire bounced down the road and through the windshield of a bus. This kind of accident actually happens with relative frequency. However, no official statistics are kept in regards to loose tire accidents, so it is difficult to say just how common such incidents are.
If an agency was to compile this kind of data, it would be the National Safety Council (NSC) that would most likely be tasked with such a collection. However, the NSC does not currently track loose tire accidents. This is problematic because safety data tends to inform resource allocation and government attention in regards to any specific kind of hazard. Until loose tire accidents are tracked, it will likely be difficult for the NSC and/or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to obtain financial resources to educate the public on this issue and to prevent these kinds of accidents.
The media reports on fatal and injurious loose tires accidents with relative frequency. Because loose tire accidents are a prevalent problem, it seems only fitting that the government would begin tracking these occurrences in order to better understand them and ultimately prevent them.
Source: Northjersey.com, “Road Warrior: Loose-tire crashes occur all too frequently,” John Cichowski, May 8, 2014