In November 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued crash statistics for the nation. Research like this helps to make the public aware of reasons why crashes occur so they can work toward avoiding them in the future.
Below are some of the government’s most important findings:
Deaths and Injuries from Motor Vehicle Crashes
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- There were 34,675 deaths that resulted from motor vehicle crashes in 2014.
- Another 2.3 million people were injured in crashes during 2014.
- Fatalities and injuries have generally declined since 2005. Fatalities have declined more sharply the auto accident injuries.
- In 2014, 21,022 passengers in vehicles were killed. Although this number seems high, it is actually the lowest number since 1975 (which is when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began keeping statistics on this type of information).
- There were 4,884 pedestrians and 726 bicyclists killed in motor vehicle accidents during 2014.
- Drivers 16 to 20 years old made up 1,678 deaths in motor vehicle accidents.
Reasons for Deaths and Injuries in Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Just under one-third of all accidents that resulted in death involved alcohol – for a total of 9,967 deaths.
- The year 2014 saw 9,262 deaths from accidents that involved excessive speed-related crashes.
- Distracted driving accounted for roughly 10 percent of all crashes that killed individuals, for a total of 3,179 people.
- Roughly 846 people died because of crashes due to drowsy drivers, which makes up 2.6 percent of all fatalities.
- Florida saw a total of 2,494 motor vehicle accident deaths, and 27 percent of those involved alcohol. Florida remains the third-highest state for traffic-related fatalities, following only Texas and California.
Most vehicle accidents are due to driver error. The most common driver errors in the United States include:
- Recognition errors (inattention, distraction, inadequate surveillance)
- Decision errors (speeding, illegal maneuvers, misjudging gaps or speed of other vehicles)
- Performance errors (overcompensation, poor directional control of the vehicle)
- Non-performance errors (sleeping, drowsy, etc.)
Contact a Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney
Drivers should be aware of these potential accident causes so they not only avoid driving in this way, but also avoid drivers around them who may be acting in an unsafe manner.
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, regardless of the cause, contact a Florida car accident attorney as soon as possible to determine if you have a personal injury claim.
Reference sources:
- https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812219.pdf
- http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812115.pdf