Car Accident Statistics
Posted by
Michael LevineFebruary 05, 2009 5:44 PMTags:
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Car accidents pose a serious threat to the public and car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 34. Judging from the available car accident statistics, all Americans will be involved in at least one car accident in their lifetime.
Nearly 43,000 people died in car accidents in 2002, according to car accident statistics available through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This figure had increased by 1.5 % from the previous year. Although the number of traffic-related injuries had declined from 3.03 million to 2.92 million, car accident statistics show that the number of fatalities due to drunk driving has steadily increased. More than one-quarter of Americans have been involved in a car accident in the last five years.
Additional car accident statistics:
About 26 % of drivers have been involved in a car crash in the last five years.
There were 17, 419 alcohol-related fatalities in 2002.
More than half the fatalities reported - 59 %- were not wearing seatbelts.
Deaths from rollover crashes totaled 82 %.
For the past five years, motorcycle fatalities have been steadily increasing.
Deaths of motorcyclists aged 50 and over have climbed by 26 %.
Every 13 minutes, there is a death caused by a car accident. Car accident statistics show that Americans from the ages of one to thirty-three are more likely to die from a car accident than from anything else. The good news is fatalities of children seven and under have dropped, most likely due to safety seats. Also, pedestrian deaths have declined by 1.9 percent.
Most car accidents are entirely preventable. Recent car accident statistics reveal that drivers involved in accidents are most likely distracted, tired or possibly drunk. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration reports that most drivers engage in activities that take their attention away from the road. These activities include:
Talking with other passengers: 81 %
Playing with the radio or CD: 66 %
Eating or drinking: 49 %
Using a cell phone: 25 %