Car Accidents: Statistics and Safety Tips
Posted by
Lauren KayOctober 27, 2009 10:04 PMTags:
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No matter where you live, or how old you are, you or someone you love have probably been affected by a car accident. In fact, in any given 5-year period, 25% of drivers are directly involved in a car accident. Every year, there are over 6 million car accidents in America, resulting in 40,000 deaths annually. These statistics are staggering, and help to reinforce how important car safety is. Let’s look at some car accident facts, and some ideas on how you can stay safe while driving in a car.
Statistics
I’ll give you the good news first: In 2008, the number of car crash fatalities was the lowest America has seen since 1961, and those numbers have continued to drop into 2009.
Unfortunately, these lower numbers are still very high: over 37,000 people died and 2.35 million people were injured in 2008 in car crashes. Car accidents are the most common cause of death, the most deadly source of personal injury, and they are the number one cause of acquired disability in the world.
There are multiple types of car accidents, such as head-on collisions, rear-enders, and side-impacts, but the most deadly type of accident is the vehicle rollover. Sports cars and hatchbacks are the most prone to accidents. Interestingly, most accidents occur less than 5 miles from home, perhaps because drivers become less concerned with the drive and more concerned with getting home quickly.
Other factors that can significantly affect one’s chances of being in a car accident are:
-Alcohol (40% of fatal crashes involve alcohol)
-Gender (men may cause twice as many accidents as women)
-Age (16-20 year olds are more likely to be injured or killed in a car crash than any other age group, and 5,000 teens die every year from car accidents)
-Cell phones (your odds of getting into a car crash increase 400% if you are talking on a cell phone while driving)
How to Stay Safe
There are many things you can do to help keep you and your family safe on the road. Here are some helpful safety tips:
-Do not drink and drive
-Always focus on your surroundings, no matter how close to home you are
-Always wear a seat belt (55% of people killed in 2008 car crashes were not wearing seat belts)
-Save cell phone conversations and texting for when you are not driving
-Do not drive aggressively (this may be why men are twice as likely to cause accidents as women)
-Make sure all teenage drivers in your home have been adequately prepared for the dangers of the road, maybe by giving them extra driving lessons before and after they are given their license
These simple precautions could keep you from being in a costly car accident, and can help keep you and your family safe on the road.
