Car Accident Statistics – What You Should Know And Why It Matters

Studying Car Accident Statistics can reveal many insights that help us understand the leading causes of road accidents and how to avoid them for our own safety and well being on the road.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, compiles and publishes many such comprehensive statistics every year.

 

The list below summarizes some of the key crash statistics based on the data of 2009 published by NHTSA.

 

 

New York Crash Statistics

 

Car Accident Statistics – Traffic Safety Facts 2009

CarAccidentStatistics 300x226 Car Accident Statistics – What You Should Know And Why It Matters

Car Accident Statistics

  • > 5.5 million vehicle crashes occurred in the United States in 2009. 28% of those crashes (i.e. 1.52 million) resulted in an injury, and < 1 percent (30,797) resulted in a fatality.
  • Young adults 21 to 24 years old had the highest fatality rate (per 100,000 population), while Children 5 to 9 years old had the lowest fatality rate (per 100,000 population).
  • 16 to 20 years old had the highest injury rate (per 100,000 population), and children under 5 years old had the lowest injury rate (per 100,000 population).

 

Teen Drivers Accident Statistics

Note: A Rare Glimpse at “The Number One Killer of Teens” in America: These are sobering statistics and the true stories of friends and family that have lost someone that they love in a needless car crash.

  • The fatality rate (per 100,000 population) across all age groups was lower for females than for males, while the injury rate was higher for females than for males in every age group, except for people over 74 years old.
  • 32% died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, of the fatal traffic crashes in 2009.
  • Most fatalities occurred between 12 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with 1,024 and 1,072 fatal crashes, respectively in 2009. 66% of these fatal crashes involved alcohol-impaired driving.
  • Approximately 50% of all fatal crashes in 2009 occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 55 mph or more, as compared with 23% of injury crashes and 23%t of property-damage-only crashes.

Disclaimer: All car accident statistics mentioned in this article have been extracted from the “Traffic Safety Facts 2009″ published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and are be used strictly for educational purposes and are not intended to be considered legal advice in any way.

 

Crash Statistics of Teenagers In America

 

Car Accident Statistics – Safety Tips That Could Save Your Life

  • Don’t DRINK and DRIVE. If you have to drink, please make sure that you bring along a partner, who doesn’t drink and is able to send you home safely later. Recall that nearly 1/3 of the fatal crashes in 2009 is the result of drunk driving.
  • Fasten your seat belts, regardless of whether you’re the driver or the passenger. The use of seat belts saved an estimated 12,713 lives in 2009. Seat belts have saved over 72,000 lives 2005 through 2009. Never under-estimate the importance of seat belts, though this is probably the most known road safety tip that we’ve heard many many times over.
  • Make sure you’re seated upright when you’re in a moving vehicle, especially if you’re in the passenger seat. Studies have shown that just by reclining your seats partially increases the risk of  fatality during car accidents by 15%. The risk of fatality jumps enormously to 70% if you fully recline your seats. The airbags and seat belts that are designed to protect you during a crash, are much less effective when you’re in a reclined position.

Chilling Statistics For Young Drivers In Australia

 

  • Focus on your driving! Don’t try to send a text message or do other things such as changing a CD or switching to your favorite radio stations, searching through a briefcase, etc while you’re driving. You won’t be able to react fast enough to changing traffic conditions if you’re not focused and alert when you’re driving. If you really have to do this, for whatever reasons, only do this after you’ve stopped at a safe place.
  • Maintain a proper distance from the car in front of you. Make sure you have 1-2 car length of gap and visibility of at least 3-5 cars ahead of you at all times.
  • Don’t drive when you’re tired or drowsy. Get enough rest or stop by at some place safe to get a drink before continuing your journey. If you’re on a long journey, bring along a companion to keep you company and awake.

Note: If you have been involved in an accident recently and encountered property loss or injury, then you may also want to check out the Car Accident Help Book, which is written to help those who have been injured in a car accident, and those who weren’t injured but have a property damage claim with an insurance company.

 

Car Accident Statistics – Conclusion

The responsibility lies in all of us to cultivate good driving ethics and respects for other road users to keep the road safe for everyone. Ultimately, when we look at car accident statistics, what it matters is what we should do to prevent ourselves from becoming part of it.

Popular Incoming Search Terms For This Post: