2008-2011 Car Crash Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just released their latest report on car crash statistics covering 2008-2011. It is important to understand accident statistics in the context of driver behavior and safety features in vehicles so that we can decrease accidents and corresponding fatalities and injuries with education and improved safety features.
Fatalities and Injuries in Non-Traffic Crashes
On average, 1,621 people were killed each year in non-traffic car accidents between 2008-2011. Approximately 39 percent of these people were not in the vehicle and were pedestrians or bicyclists. On average, 91,000 people were injured in car accidents in each of these years and 35 percent of those were non-vehicle occupants.
Child Fatalities and Injuries in Non-traffic Crashes
Between 2008-2011, non-traffic car accidents took the lives of about 1,043 children under the age of 14. Thirty thousand children were injured in car accidents during the same time frame. Interestingly, about 85 percent of those killed and 60 percent of those injured were not occupants of the vehicle but were instead pedestrians or bicyclists. Eighty-four percent of the non-occupant children who died were aged four and younger. In 2012, there were 33,561 fatalities from traffic accidents and children 14 and younger accounted for just three percent of them.
Distracted Driving
In 2012, ten percent of all fatal car crashes, 18 percent of car crashes resulting in injuries, and 16 percent of all car crashes were as a result of distracted driving. Distracted driving includes cell phone use, eating, talking to other passengers, adjusting the radio, applying makeup, etc.
Senior Drivers
In 2012, 5,560 people aged 65 and older were killed and 214,000 were injured in car crashes. Senior drivers were involved in 17 percent of all traffic fatalities and nine percent of all people injured in traffic crashes during the year. The 2012 numbers showed a 16 percent increase in senior driver fatalities over 2011.
Seat Belt Safety
In 2012, 21,667 passengers in motor vehicles (passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs) died in car crashes. Of these occupants, 9,679 were wearing seatbelts (restrained). It was not known whether 1,653 of these occupants were restrained. Where it is known definitively, 52 percent of passengers who died in motor vehicle crashes were not restrained at the time of impact.
Use of Electronic Devices While Driving
Research showed that the percentage of drivers’ text messaging or visibly using their hand-held electronic devices increased from 1.3 percent in 2011 to 1.5 percent in 2012. Hand-held cell phone use remained stable at five percent of drivers with usage higher among female drivers and those between the ages of 16 and 24 years old.
Accidents with Large Trucks
In 2012, there were 3,921 people killed and 104,000 people injured in 317,000 car crashes involving large trucks. Large trucks have a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds.
2013 Projection
A projection for the first nine months of 2013 shows that an estimated 24,270 people died in car crashes during that period. These numbers are a welcome decrease of about 3.7 percent when compared to the 25,214 fatalities that occurred in the first nine months of 2012.
If you or a loved one were involved in a car accident, do not hesitate to seek the help of a knowledgeable car accident attorney. The insurance companies are there to pay you the lowest settlement possible; it is not uncommon that a victim who hires an accident lawyer receives up to three times the settlement of someone who fights alone. Please call the caring, experienced accident attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. today for a FREE Consulation.
Read More
A Report on Washington State Car Accidents
Despite an increase in motorists, Washington State has seen a significant decline in car accident related deaths in the last decade. Most American adults drive; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are close to 211 million licensed drivers on our roads and highways. While we are taught to keep our hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road and the speedometer, the reality is that there are many drivers who drive impaired, distracted, or that drive recklessly fast. Car accidents and corresponding fatalities and injuries are a reality we accept in order for the privilege to drive.
Accident Statistics vary from state to state.
What are Washington State’s car accident statistics?
Washington State Fatal Car Accident Statistics
- Washington State’s traffic fatality rate declined each year between 2006 and 2010. The rate in 2006 was 1.12 deaths per one million automobile miles traveled and it dropped to .8 deaths per million miles travelled in 2010.
- There were 460 deaths associated with car accidents in 2010.
- People between the ages of 21 and 25 experienced the most traffic related deaths of any group.
- More than 64 percent of all car accident fatalities between 2006 and 2010 were to the driver.
- More than 46 percent of car accident deaths occurred on state roadways, 20 percent occurred on city streets, and 31 percent took place on county roads.
- July and August are the deadliest months for drivers.
- The majority of fatal car accidents were involved in a low-speed collision, meaning driving less than 35 miles per hour.
- The overall level of traffic fatalities in Washington was comparable to the national average.
Serious Injury from Car Accidents in Washington State
- The number of serious injuries from car accidents declined from almost 3,000 in 2006 to 2,474 in 2010 (a 17 percent decrease).
- The driver was almost three times more likely to be seriously injured in a car accident than a passenger.
- July and August had the most serious injuries from car accidents.
- Forty-four percent of serious injuries from a car accident occurred in a passenger vehicle while 38 percent occurred in a pickup truck, SUV or van.
Washington State Drunk Driving Statistics
- Between 2006 and 2010, there were a total of 1,323 deaths associated with drunken driving.
- The rate of impaired driving deaths has declined every since 2006; in 2006 there were 301 fatalities and in 2010 there were 230.
- Impaired driving related deaths were the highest among the 21-25 year age group and in the summer months.
- DUI related deaths nearly doubled on the weekends when compared to weekday driving.
Distracted Driving Statistics for Washington State
- On average, distracted driving accidents caused 152 deaths each year between 2004-2008.
- Between 2004-2008, distracted driving was a contributing factor in more than 25 percent of all fatal car accidents.
- Drivers aged 16-25 were involved in 26 percent of all distracted driving related deaths compared to 14 percent for people over the age of 70.
- Fifty percent of all distraction related fatalities occurred on the weekends.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or death due to a car accident, talk to an experienced car accident attorney who can fight for compensation on your behalf. Do not underestimate the ability of an accident attorney to get the job done: the Insurance Research Council found that insurance payouts to clients are 3.5 times higher to those who hired an accident attorney. Call the experienced car accident lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. today!
Read More