5.25 Million Accidents Each Year
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that there are 5.25 million motor vehicle accidents in the United States each year. This means that there is a new collision every 60 seconds. While this number has decreased in recent years, due to more safety features being introduced in newer vehicles and laws regarding driver safety (i.e., banning handheld electronics, seatbelts must be worn), there is still a major cause for concern over the number of lives lost on the roads each year — nearly 40,000 on average.
However, car accidents aren’t the only cause for concern, as passenger car occupants only make up 34% of all traffic fatalities. While this is the highest for any vehicle specification, understanding how other kinds of collisions affect motorists every day is crucial.
Motorcycle Accidents
According to the NHTSA, motorcyclists make up 14% of all traffic fatalities — a percentage that has remained consistent since 2010. Along with this, over 80,000 people are injured in motorcycle accidents each year - a rate that increased by 2.4% from 2018 to 2019.
Truck Accidents
Large truck accidents remain to be a cause for concern for any motorist, despite these accidents making up about 4% of traffic fatalities each year. However, this is heavily due to the fact that the rate of people who are non-truck occupants in truck crashes increased by 33% over the course of one year.
Boat Accidents
Despite being one of the only motor vehicle categories to see a steady decline over the last 15 years, recreational boating accidents continue to cause over 600 fatalities and 2,500 injuries in the United States each year. Driver inattention consistently accounts for the majority of these accidents, causing 89% of all recreational boating fatalities in 2019.
Regardless of what your preferred travel or recreational method is, the signs clearly indicate that each motorist needs to do a better job of practicing safe and defensive driving.
Motor Vehicle Accident? We Can Help
Pritchard Injury Firm prides itself on being a leader in compassionate personal injury representation in Georgia. If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident this year, contact our office today. We work with the best medical providers in Cartersville to ensure that you are getting the care you need while we focus on getting you the compensation you deserve.
Call (470) 577-8152 or fill out the form on our website to get in touch with an attorney today.