Who is Most Likely to Get Into Car Accidents?
Who is most likely to get intocar accidents?
Car accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. Crash statistics can help us understand why car accidents happen and most common factors that contribute to these collisions.
U.S.Car accident statistics
6 million
There are approximately 6 million reported car accidents in the U.S. every year — or 16,438 per day. These collisions accounted for upwards of 2 million permanent injuries and 38,000 deaths in a recent year.
90 percent
Nearly 90 percent of motor vehicle collisions involve one or more driver-related factors, such as distraction, fatigue, intoxication, and other reckless driving behaviors. Speeding plays a role in more than half of all reported accidents.
Who is most likely to get intoauto accidents?
Teenagers
Crash Risk is especially high for 16-and-17-year-olds. These new drivers are almost twice as likely as their near-peers (ages 18-19) to be injure while driving.
Seniors
Older drivers over age 75 are more likely to die in crashes than middle-age motorists. Some of that may attributed to cognitive and physical decline with age, but also because bodies become more vulnerable to injury as they are.
Newly licensed drivers
Young or old, inexperienced drivers have simply logged less time on the roads. That means that their drivings kills and judgement in traffic situations are not as developed as more experienced drivers.
Males
More men die in traffic crashes each year. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, that's because men tend to drive more often and engage in riskier behaviors like speeding, not wearing a seat belt, and driving while intoxicated.
Ways to preventcar accidents
If your loved one falls into a demographic listed above, you can still minimize his or her risk of a crash. Start by encouraging these safe driving behaviors:
Limit car passengers
The presence of others can cause risky behaviors among teens.
Limit cell phone use
Keep distractions out of sight and out of mind.
Don't drive while intoxicated
Always call for a ride when necessary.
1 Driving Tests: The Ultimate List of Driving Statistics for 2020
2 National Safety Council: Motor Vehicle Deaths Estimated to Have Dropped 2 Percent in 2019
3 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries, and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, United States 2014-2015
4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Older Adult Drivers
5 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Gender-Fatality Facts 2018