Car accident statistics
American research has revealed that
car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 34.
It was exposed that nearly 43,000 people died in car accidents in 2002 according to data from the U.S Department of Transportation’s Nations Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Sadly, this figure has increased by 1.5% since that year. Although the number of traffic-related injuries has declined from 3.03m to 2.92m, car accident figures show the number of deaths due to drunk driving has steadily increased.
More than one-quarter of Americans have been involved in a car crash in the last five years. There have been 17,419 alcohol-related fatalities, more than half of the deaths reported – 59% were not wearing seatbelts. Deaths from rollover crashes reached 82%.
In America, it is thought that every 13 minutes there is a death caused by a car accident. The good news is fatalities of children seven and under have dropped, most likely due to safety seats. Also, pedestrian deaths have lowered too, by 1.9%
The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration said that most car accidents could have been avoided, because figures showed that crashes occurred when 81% of drivers were talking, 49% were eating or drinking and 25% used a mobile phone whilst behind the wheel.
Updated on 2/6/2009