The rising cost of car accidents
Car accidents are costly, and in more ways than you might think. First there is the damage to the vehicles involved. As you are legally required to have a valid car insurance policy, the cost of repairs or a new vehicle will usually be at least partially covered by your insurer. However, most premiums have a level of excess you will have to pay before the policy becomes valid which, at several hundred pounds, could leave you severely out of pocket. Then there is the increased cost of your insurance premium after you make a claim – if you've made a car accident claim then you are considered more of a risk to insurers.
Next there is the physical and emotional damage to those involved. Many car accident compensation claims are not just for damage to the vehicles but also for medical costs, lost income through the inability to work and emotional distress. The future also plays a key role in these claims; if injuries suffered in the accident are permanent and impede the victim's career, this cost will be added onto the amount of damages awarded and some compensation awards have been known to reach millions of pounds.
A resulting cost of car accidents that might not immediately spring to mind is the advertising campaigns on which governments spend millions, trying to promote safer driving and lower the number of car accidents that happen each year. Figures recently released show that someone is killed in a car accident every 13 minutes in the USA, corroborating with reports that the number of road accidents across the pond is rising steadily all the time. Car accidents are said to be the number one cause of death of Americans between the ages of 1 and 33, with people in that age bracket more likely to die in a car accident than in any other manner. This figure remains, despite the government pumping extra money into improvements to traffic safety and funding the enforcement of stricter traffic laws.
The situation is slightly better here in the UK, with government statistics showing that the number of people killed or seriously injured in a car accident dropped by 4 per cent in 2007 compared to the previous year. The number of injuries in total was also 4 per cent less than in 2006. Although the number of casualties from road accidents are dropping across the board, more and more people are using the roads and so it is crucial to keep motorists aware of the dangers of driving.
Slogans such as 'Kill your speed, not your child' and 'Tiredness can kill: take a break' have become a familiar sight in the UK in recent years and are all part of government-backed schemes to raise awareness of road safety. There have also been recent crackdowns on driving under the influence of drink or drugs as well, with police stopping and testing anyone they believe to be under the influence on the spot. In addition to this, there has also been the much publicised ban on mobile phones; drivers now incur a fine and penalty points on their license if they are caught using a mobile phone on the road. When the law was instated, statistics showed that while 90 per cent of drivers agreed with the ban, 20 per cent admitted they still occasionally used their phones while driving.
When you consider that the whole process – from initial idea to the extra policing called for to make sure the laws are being adhered to – costs taxpayers' money, it becomes obvious how reckless driving is costing everyone and not just those involved in car accidents.
Updated on 9/22/2008