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The Death Of A Car

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One to five years in prison. That is the sentence for a person convicted of involuntary vehicular manslaughter in result of death. Intentional or not, many ordinary people land themselves in prison for one foolish mistake. One glance at a text, one drink too many, or one decision to not put on a seatbelt can turn a person 's life upside down. Many times, especially in a college atmosphere, teens make poor and naive decisions when faced with driving a car. One mistake can lead to life-altering consequences for the rest of a teen’s life. Injuries in automobile accidents are becoming so prevalent today, and changes need to be made in order to protect the lives of teens and the cars surrounding them. Teens choose to not wear a seatbelt, drink a few before driving, and text behind the wheel. All of these must be addressed and change must be made through public health intervention to establish a safe road where everyone can drive.

According to the 2011 South Dakota Motor Vehicle Crash Study, there were 17,362 motor vehicle accidents and 5,485 of these crashes resulted in an injury or death in 2011. In South Dakota, the fatality rate of car accidents compared to national average is slightly above, at 1.2%. The national average is 1.1 % (Department of Public Health). This shows that there is a high risk of injury when operating a motor vehicle in the state of South Dakota. This study assesses the causes of many accidents in South Dakota and the prevalence of injury and death in

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