For Staten Islanders who keep track of car accident statistics, it is the details that can be key. For example, calculating the number of collisions with injuries and fatalities over the course of a week does not give the entire story as certain days and times might be more dangerous. Examining accident statistics over the course of a year may provide more information.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) examines this data and formulates reports that go into greater detail. The numbers were from 2016. One study shows that, nationwide, Saturday is the riskiest day to be on the road. Next on the list are Friday and Sunday — in short, the weekend days. Statistics were used in combination with a study by a review website. There were slightly more than 6,800 fatal accidents on Saturdays. In total, there were 37,461 such accidents that year. On Fridays, there were 5,826 deaths. Sundays had 5,809. The safest time to be on the road was early Tuesday morning between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Rush hour was deemed especially dangerous. The hours between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. had more people on the road, drivers who were in a rush and were haggard, and drivers who were driving after having a few drinks. Alcohol was found to be a major factor. Since more people are out and drinking on weekends, there is believed to be a connection. 26 percent of those who were in a fatal accident on weekends were intoxicated. During the week, that number was 14 percent. Just shy of 10,500 of the previously mentioned 37,461 fatalities were linked to alcohol. That came to 28 percent. More people were intoxicated at night — 3.3 times — than during the day. Another issue that is problematic is speeding. 10,111 deaths in 2016 were believed to have been due to excessive speed.
Statistics will likely be the last thing people are thinking about after they have been in an automobile accident and were injured or lost a loved one in a fatal crash. However, they can be vital to a legal filing when seeking compensation. Every factor must be considered when filing a lawsuit to be covered for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. Those involved in an automobile crash may want to learn more about car accident statistics and the law.
