What’s the leading cause of death for people ages 1-54 in the U.S.?
You may have heard that heart disease and cancer are big killers — and they are. According to the CDC, nearly 650,000 people die a year from heart disease, and about 600,000 die from cancer.
But when you narrow it down to people between the ages of 1 and 54, traffic accidents become the leading cause of death, killing about 12.4 people for every 100,000 residents per year.
With that in mind, how common is a car accident, and what are your chances of being injured in a car accident? Let’s find out.
How Common Is a Car Accident?
Every day, there are approximately 16,438 car crashes in the U.S. alone. That’s approximately 6 million accidents each year. Thankfully, most people walk away from car accidents.
Only about 6% of accidents involve a fatality. But still, that means more than 90 people lose their lives in a car accident every day.
About 3 million people are injured in car accidents per year in the U.S. and 2 million drivers end up with permanent injuries. This means that people are injured in only about 27% of car accidents. Many people suffer minor car accident injuries, and, thankfully, serious injuries from car accidents are less common.
But it’s far from a happy ending for anyone. A staggering 72% of car accidents result in property damage
What Are Common Injuries from Car Accidents?
There are a number of common injuries from car accidents, and seeking the assistance of a Queens auto accident lawyer is essential to claim the compensation you deserve in such cases. Whiplash, in which the head is flung sharply forward and back again during a collision, can cause head and neck injuries. Bruising, scratches, and broken bones are also common injuries that can occur during accidents. Furthermore, internal injuries like concussions can also pose a risk, even when the symptoms are not immediately evident.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
Don’t worry, though, your individual odds of being injured in a car accident is a mere 0.7% per year. And that’s just on average. By following a few simple tips you can lower your chances even more.
Always use your seatbelt. Even though you have about 30 times higher chance of being ejected from the vehicle during a collision without a seat belt, about 1 in 7 adults don’t use their seat belts.
Don’t text or use your phone and drive. Using a cell phone while driving can reduce the amount of brain activity available for the task by 37%. It takes approximately 4.6 seconds to send or receive a text. That doesn’t sound like much, but at 55 miles an hour, you’ve traveled the full length of a football field with your eyes off the road.
Don’t drink and drive. About 40% of all accidents that result in death involve alcohol.
What if you are injured in an accident? Or your kids are injured? Find out more information about the next steps you should take at sweetlaw.com.
Staying Safe on the Road
So, how common is a car accident? More than 16,000 crashes a day sounds like a lot. However, you have to remember that there are an estimated 250 million cars in the U.S. Your odds of being in a serious car accident are very slim, particularly if you follow safe driving tips and ride with other drivers who do the same!
To check out more interesting stats and tips, feel free to read more of the blog!
This list shows how important it is to remember to be careful and follow the rules. I always wear a seat belt and never drink and drive.
Very good list that a lot of people need to be reminded of. I started wear my seat belt when my first niece was born 30+ years ago. It is a habit and one time my seat belt broke it drove me nuts till i got it fixed. Sometimes it your fault and sometimes its the other guy