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Below are some
interesting facts surrounding auto accidents. It’s no wonder that the cost of
auto insurance policies are going up. It’s more important than ever to drive
safely and know how to shop
for good policy rates.
In
1896 there were only four cars registered in all the United States. Unbelievably
2 of them got in an accident in St. Louis.
The
world’s most solitary tree is located at an oasis in the Tenere Desert in
Central Africa. There’s not one other standing tree within 31 miles. In 1960, it
was smashed into by a truck!
Most
motor vehicle accident injuries occur on Saturday - Sunday is second.
Since the first documented death due to an auto accident in 1899, more
than 30 million people worldwide have died in traffic crashes.
There are more than 200,000,000 licensed drivers in the United States.
As
of 2003 we’re close to a yearly 7 million motor vehicle accidents, involving
well over 3.5 million injuries.
In
2003, 42,643 people died and another 2,889,000 people were injured in motor
vehicle accidents. This was the lowest on record!
The
economic impact of auto accidents is estimated at $230.6 billion a year. That’s
about $4,900 per second - about $25,000 in the time it took to read this fact.
Current records show that most American drivers will be in a collision of some
type on the average of every 5 to 8 years.
A
motor vehicle death occurs on average every 12 minutes and an injury every 11
seconds. About 118 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes in 2003
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages four to 33.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates 10 million or
more crashes go unreported every year.
In
2003 crashes involving vehicles on public roadways were the leading cause of
work-related fatalities, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
accounting for almost a quarter of all fatal work injuries.
In
2003, 13,380 lives were lost due to speed-related accidents. Speeding was a
contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes.
Licensed teenagers are 22 more times likely to get a speeding ticket than those
who are 65 years of age or older.
In
2003, drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 years old accounted for 14 percent
of all drivers in fatal crashes, and for 18 percent of all drivers in
police-reported crashes.
In
2003, 39 percent of 15- to 20-year old male drivers who were involved in fatal
crashes were speeding at the time of the crash.
Records prove that an auto accident at as little speed as 5 MPH can produce a
“whiplash-type” injury
By
the year 2025 there will be 33 million people 70 years or older in America and
this segment is growing 2.5 as fast as the total population. Unfortunately, this
segment of the population makes up the largest percentage of the “turning left”
and “rear end” accidents. Slowly but surely senior citizens have developed a
higher accident ratio than teenagers. See what can be done to help senior
citizens prevent auto accidents.
In
2003, drivers over the age of 70 made up 12 percent of all traffic fatalities,
12 percent of vehicle occupant fatalities and 16 percent of pedestrian
fatalities.
The
total costs for motor vehicle accidents in the United States will exceed 450
billion dollars in 2005.
A
blood alcohol content at or above 0.08 is the definition of drunkenness accepted
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Forty-one percent of intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes were
speeding, compared with 14 percent of sober drivers involved in fatal crashes.
One
out of every five Americans is involved in an alcohol-related
auto accident
at some time in their lives.
In 2003, 17,401 people died in alcohol-related crashes; alcohol was involved in
40 percent of all crash fatalities.
There is an alcohol-related traffic fatality every 30 minutes, and an
alcohol-related traffic injury every 2 minutes.
The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that more than 900 people a
year die and nearly 2,000 are injured due to vehicles running red lights. About
half of these deaths are pedestrians and occupants in other vehicles who are hit
by red light runners.
NHTSA statistics show that at least 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths each year
are the result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Nearly two out of ten adult Americans have admitted to having fallen asleep at
the wheel.
New
Jersey passed a law in 2003 that equates falling asleep at the wheel with
reckless driving, and if a driver falls asleep and kills someone in a crash, he
or she can be charged with vehicular homicide and serve up to ten years in jail
and pay fines.
Medical research and clinical experience have accumulated enough information to
demonstrate that the delay of an injury symptom sustained in an auto
accident is the norm. These symptoms can occur for months or years. And,
current statistics reveal that 20% of those injured actually have their symptoms
worsen between the first and second year after an accident.
The
number of people killed in SUV rollover crashes rose 6.8 percent from 2002 to
2003, according to NHTSA.
SUVs
account for about 40% of registered vehicles. In 2003 they had the highest
rollover involvement rate of any vehicle type in fatal crashes, 36 percent
compared with 24% for pickup trucks, 19 percent for vans and 16% for passenger
cars.
According to NHTSA, 4,986 people died in crashes involving large trucks in 2003.
Although large trucks amounted to 4% of all registered vehicles in 2002, they
accounted for 8% of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes.
NHTSA says that air bags saved 2,488 lives in 2003.
Among passenger vehicle occupants over the age of four, seat belts saved an
estimated 14,903 lives in 2003.
NHTSA says that in 2003, the lives of an estimated 446 children under the age of
five were saved by restraints — 401 of them by child safety seats alone.
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