New Yorkers who are involved in car accidents and suffer injuries or lose a loved one must be cognizant of the causes of these crashes. In a similar vein, it is also important to understand the statistical realities of auto accidents. Research is constantly done to examine these collisions and to see if law enforcement, governmental agencies and car companies are effective in reducing the number of accidents and casualties. Unfortunately, the latest statistics indicate that in 2017, there were close to the same number of fatalities on the road as there were in 2016.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), there were 40,100 fatalities on U.S. roads in 2017. That is a slight decrease from the 40,327 reported in 2016. The 2017 total is 6 percent higher than it was in 2015. If the initial estimates are deemed accurate, that will be the second consecutive year in which there were more than 40,000 deaths on the road. The previous time the numbers were that high was in 2007. Also of note is the number of injuries that came about because of car accidents.
There were an estimated 4.57 million people who suffered serious injuries in a crash in 2017. That is around the same number as in 2016. The number of miles driven rose by around 1 percent. Society was confronted by financial losses close to $414 billion due to auto accidents. The NSC estimates that the number of fatalities on the road came to 12.28 per 100,000 population. That is a reduction of around 2 percent from 2016. The statistics were accrued via data from the National Center for Health Statistics. If the death occurred within one year of the accident, it was included in the statistics. Also included were private roadways like parking lots and driveways.
These statistics show that despite the number of safety improvements that car companies are seeking to implement and the law enforcement crackdown on risky behaviors such as speeding, distracted driving and driving under the influence, the dangers on the road remain significant. People who have been injured or lost a loved one on the road may want to seek compensation for lost companionship, lost wages and other issues they will deal with. A legal professional who is experienced in pursuing claims after motor vehicle accidents can help with examining the circumstances of the crash and filing a lawsuit if appropriate.
Source: insurancejournal.com, “Motor Vehicle Deaths in U.S. Again Top 40,000,” Feb. 16, 2018
