Important facts in the most recent auto accident statistics

On Behalf of | Dec 11, 2015 | Car Accidents |

In Florida and across the country, it is widely known how much damage a car accident can do. What is also important in car accidents and avoiding them is understanding the statistics that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration accrues to educate and inform. It takes a substantial amount of time for these numbers to be assessed and that is why the statistics for the previous year are often released not long before the end of the next year. There is still a great deal to be gleaned from this research.

In the U.S. in 2014, there were nearly 33,000 people killed in auto accidents. Approximately 2.3 million people were hurt in accidents. The number of people who died in these crashes has been declining for the past decade as 25 percent fewer people were killed from 2005 to 2014. In that same time frame, the number of people who were injured decreased by 13 percent. Slightly more than 21,000 people riding in a motor vehicle died in 2014. Nearly half were not wearing their seatbelts.

Pedestrians and bicyclists are also at risk when out on the road. The numbers showed the nearly 4,900 pedestrians were killed and 726 bicyclists died in a car collision in 2014. Thirty-one percent of the fatalities — nearly 10,000 — were due to drivers who were under the influence of alcohol. When it came to motorcycles, those who lived in states in which it was not required that they wear a helmet died 10 more times than those who were in states where it was required to wear a helmet. Florida leaves it up to the person if they are over the age of 21.

According to the research, 1,678 drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 were killed in a car accident. 581 passengers in the same age range died riding with drivers who were classified as young. Drivers who were distracted led to the deaths of nearly 3,200 people. Drowsy driving killed 846 people. Speeding was the cause of nearly 9,300 of the fatal accidents. Florida had 2,494 total fatal accidents and 27 percent were due to alcohol.

The numbers can certainly assist people with understanding how and why a crash happens, but after the fact, it is merely an addition to the troubling statistics of how much harm a car accident can do. Those who have been a car accident victim or lost a loved one need to have assistance in pursuing damages from an experienced legal professional.

Source: nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov, “2014 Crash Data Key Findings,” accessed on Dec. 8, 2015

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