We are a mobile society. But right now, we’re not talking about smartphones.
When is the last time you jumped in your car to go buy a gallon of milk instead of walking? Or drove the kids to school when you only live three blocks away?
All that driving despite knowing the “mother” of all car accident facts:
“Most accidents happen with a three-mile radius of your home.”
Of course, for many of us, driving is a necessity. But it’s never a bad idea to get a reminder as to why safety precautions are so important when we get behind the wheel of a car.
Here’s a list of car accident facts you might find shocking.
Car Accidents Make the CDC List
In a report compiled by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “Accidents (unintentional injuries)” are the fourth highest leading cause of death in America. In 2016, almost 150,000 people were killed in accidents. This is higher than deaths due to stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes mellitus.
Boys Will Be Boys — Men are at Higher Risk
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports on the percentage of men versus women involved in automobile accidents.
In their data sample ranging from 1975 to 2015 they list this in their car accident facts: “For every year from 1975 to 2015, the number of male crash deaths was more than twice the number of female crash deaths.”
Some of the reasons for this doubling include:
- Men are more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Men are less likely to wear a seat belt
- Men are involved in reckless driving behaviors more often
- Overall, men drive more miles in a year than women
Death by Car Crash is Less Likely
Despite all the above statistics, the percentage of people that die in vehicle collisions is very small compared to the number of overall accidents and injuries.
Check out these statistics from the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT):
- Nearly 1.3 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths a day.
- An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled
ASIRT is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that improves the personal safety of travelers on the roads.
According to Desalvo Law, there is a wide variety of injuries that result from accidents.
It can be something as simple as temporary muscle strain to whiplash or a thrown out back. Cuts and scrapes from broken glass or contact with the road are very common. And accidents involving a greater force of impact, the results can be broken bones to paralysis.
Rural Versus Urban Car Accident Facts
Nationwide, 49 percent of motor vehicle deaths in 2015 occurred in rural areas, according to the IIHS.
Here are some interesting numbers:
- North Dakota had the highest percentage of rural road accidents with a whopping 93 percent
- In Montana, that number was 89 percent
- South Dakota was third with 85 percent
- Although Massachusetts sits at the bottom of the list at 6 percent, the number of fatal car crashes on urban roads in the state catapulted to 94 percent
The state with the highest percentage of car accidents on urban roads?
Not surprisingly, the District of Columbia at 100 percent.
Celebrities Are Not Immune
Celebrities love their cars.
Unfortunately, that has led to a surprising number of celebrity car crash fatalities. Wikipedia’s “list of people who died in traffic collisions” contains hundreds and hundreds of names.
A few of the more publicized deaths include Paul Walker of “Fast and Furious” fame, Princess Diana, James Dean, artist Jackson Pollock, comedian Sam Kinison, TLC rapper Lisa (Left Eye) Lopes, race car driver Dale Earnhardt, Grace Kelly, and World War II hero General George S. Patton, Jr.
A Safe Drive is a Happy Driver
Hopefully the next time you need repairs done to your car, it won’t be because of an accident.
Keep these chilling statistics in mind the next time you get behind the wheel. They might just save your life!