Scary Driving Statistics Every Driver Should Know from Car Accident Lawyers
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on October 18, 2017
A car accident can happen at any moment, anywhere in the blink of an eye. When you get behind a vehicle and make the decision to operate it, you are controlling a piece of machinery that can accelerate up to 125 mph, weighs 2 tons, and is going to be in an area populated by other people in the same situation.
According to the Associate for Safe International Road Travel, 1.3 million people around the world lose their lives every year in vehicle accidents. With higher speeding limits across America, most accidents on highways are either fatal or leave someone with critical injuries. Additionally, with the rise in popularity of smartphones and smart cars, there are many more distractions available to drivers.
We are more aware now than ever of what the leading causes behind car accidents are. However, it may be shocking to some to learn that drunk driving is not the leading or second highest cause of accidents on the road. The number one cause of motor vehicle accidents is distracted driving. Speeding is the second highest cause and drunk driving finishes out the top three.
As car accident lawyers practicing in the state of Kentucky and in Southern, Indiana, we recognize that these three causes are to blame for most of the accidents in America. Below we’ve outlined some pretty shocking and scary driving statistics that every driver should know. We hope that it makes everyone think a little bit harder about what is at risk when driving a motor vehicle and what is really worth causing, or being in, a potentially fatal car accident.
Driving Statistics Surrounding Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is now the leading cause of car accidents in the United States.
Distracted driving has slowly and quietly become the leading cause of car accidents in the United States. A study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that 80% of all accidents and 65% of close-accidents are due to drivers that are distracted by something. Common driver distractions include, but aren’t limited to:
- Having a cell phone conversation
- Text messaging
- Eating food
- Grabbing for an object in motion
- Observing something outside the vehicle
- Applying makeup
- Reading a book
Most accidents caused by distracted driving are due to cell phone use. The risk of being in a car accident increases 2.7 times when the driver is dialing a phone. Talking on a cell phone increased the risk of being in a car accident 1.3 times. Additionally, teens are four-times more likely to drive while distracted than adults. While police officers have started cracking down on ticketing for distracted driving, there are still a lot of distracted drivers on the road. Researchers recommend that you remove distractions from the car to lessen the likelihood of being the cause of an accident. They also recommend banning cellphone use in a moving vehicle to ensure your own safety.
Driving Statistics Surrounding Speeding
Speed limits exist for a reason. And while many people would agree that going 100 miles an hour is dangerous in most circumstances, going just 5 miles over the posted speed limit is frequently regarded as acceptable by many. However, the fact is that going 5 miles over the speed limit can be just as dangerous as much higher speeds. There is an interesting allegory that puts speeding into an understandable perspective.
A pedestrian is crossing the street at a crosswalk while a car approaches the same crosswalk going 30 MPH. When the car is 45 feet away from the pedestrian, the car brakes and stops with enough space to allow the pedestrian to keep walking safely across the street. The same pedestrian reaches the same crosswalk hours later and starts to cross while a car going 35 miles per hour approaches. 45 feet away, the car begins to break and hits the pedestrian while still travelling 18 miles per hour causing major injuries to the victim.
This should put the dangers of speeding, even minimally, into perspective. In 1999, 30% of all fatal car accidents were caused by speeding and over 12,000 lives were lost. It is estimated that more than $28 billion is lost every year due to motor vehicle crashes related to speeding. Even more shocking is the fact that 90% of drivers have admitted to speeding at least once in their driving careers and three-fourths of that group speed regularly.
There is a simple trick that can greatly reduce your chances of being in a speeding-related car accident. It is called the three-second rule and it takes three easy steps to complete.
- When driving, find a sign or post that is off to the side of the road and ahead of you.
- Start to count three seconds as soon as the car in front of you passes the sign.
- If the front of your vehicle crosses the sign or post before you’ve counted to three, slow down.
This will help keep your speeding in check and also lessen the likelihood of tailgating the car in front of you. It is important to know that speeding rarely saves time, but it does always increase the risk of being in a car accident.
Driving Statistics Surrounding Drunk Driving
Every single year, thousands of accidents are caused by drunk driving; however, it is not the leading cause of accidents in America. Regardless, drunk driving rounds out the top three causes of most car accidents in America and killed 13,000 people in 2007. It is common knowledge that the legal limit for a DUI (driving under influence) is a blood alcohol concentration of .08. If an adult over the age of 21 gets behind a steering wheel and operates a vehicle with any higher BAC, they are illegally drunk driving and increase their risk of being in a car accident substantially.
Regardless, the best way to prevent a drunk driving accident is to not drink and drive, period. There are plenty of ways to prevent drunk driving including:
- Designating a sober driver at the beginning of the night
- Calling a cab or taxi after drinking
- Choosing to walk instead of drive
- Giving up keys to a sober-minded person
In recent years, the number of drunk driving incidents has drastically declined. The number of fatal accidents caused by driving under the influence has declined for the last two years in a row. The overall fatality rate hit a record low 10 years ago.
Some of the numbers reported in this article can be shocking. Statements like the fact that distracted driving causes more accidents than drinking and driving, can be even more shocking. However, it is important to be aware of the dangers of the road both inside and outside of a vehicle. This will keep drivers aware of what could compromise their safety and, hopefully, cause them to drive with more caution.