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The late summer and fall are some of the deadliest months for car accidents.[1] Around 13 car accidents occur every minute, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While cars continue to become safer, the number of people killed every year in car accidents continues to increase.[2]
Here are some statistics:
An estimated 42,915 people died in car crashes in 2021, a 10.5% increase from 2020. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration/NHTSA)
Approximately 4.8 million people were seriously injured in automobile collisions in 2020. (National Safety Council/NSC)
Pedestrian fatalities in 2021 have increased by 13% since 2020. (NHTSA)
The average economic cost (including wage losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, motor vehicle damage, and employers’ uninsured costs) for a fatal car accident was $1,750,000 and $101,000 for a disabling injury in 2020. (NSC)
In 2020, crash fatalities were 62% passenger vehicle occupants, 17% pedestrians, 14% motorcyclists, 2% bicyclists, and 2% large truck occupants. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety/IIHS)
The rate of car crash deaths by 100,000 miles traveled increased by 21% from 2019 to 2020, constituting the largest annual increase since reporting began in 1975. (IIHS)
July 4 is typically among the days with the most crash deaths. (IIHS)
In 23% of fatalities in passenger vehicles, the occupants were ejected from the vehicle. (NHTSA)
In 2020, 2,564 fatalities resulted from hit-and-run crashes. (NHTSA)
All but six states reported increases in traffic deaths from 2020 to 2021. (USA Today)
What’s going on? Why are we seeing so many fatal accidents? Let’s look at the leading causes of fatal car crashes according to the NHTSA.
Drunk driving: Drunk drivers cause more than 17,000 fatalities every year. That means someone dies from a drunk driving accident every 30 minutes. (New York State Police)
Lack of seatbelt use: Of those fatally injured in a passenger vehicle, 44% of drivers and 41% of passengers were wearing their seatbelts. (IIHS)
Speeding: Speeding was involved in 29% of motor vehicle crash deaths in 2020. More than half of fatal car accidents in 2020 occurred on roads with speed limits lower than 55 miles per hour. (IIHS)
Distracted driving: In 2020, 6% of fatal car crashes involved distracted driving. Of the drivers involved in distracted driving, 64% were described as “lost in thought (daydreaming).” Another 12% were engaging in cell phone use. (IIHS)
Drowsy driving: In 2020, 633 fatalities resulted from drowsy driving. Drowsy driving was responsible for almost 2% of total traffic fatalities that year. (NHTSA)