Transportation is an essential part of the daily lives of most working people. Most people live outside of a reasonable walking distance from their place of employment. Some people use public transportation, such as the subway or a bus, while many others prefer to ride a motorcycle or drive a car. There were nearly 300 million registered vehicles in the United States as of 2019. Simply put, there are a lot of vehicles traveling the roads on any given day.
With so many vehicles potentially traveling the roads, there are plenty of opportunities for mishaps, accidents, and tragedies. Motor vehicle accidents can cause personal injury and even the deaths of innocent civilians. Most people choose to own and operate a car, but some people prefer the flexibility and relative low expense of a motorcycle.
If you want to learn more, or have been involved in a motorcycle or other automobile accident, you can consult an accident lawyer. Our expert team of attorneys will help you recover compensation for any injuries, property damages, or other damages caused by the accident.
Leading Causes of Automobile Accidents: As per the NHTSA Reports
Car accidents occur with more frequency than motorcycle accidents because cars are the predominant type of vehicles on the roads. According to the NHTSA, the number of people who lost their lives due to auto accidents in 2019 was 36,096 out of which 24% were injured due to car crashes.
While that may be the case, motorcycle accidents have a greater fatality rate than cars. Here are some of the more common causes of automobile accidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
- Speeding: In the year 2018, nearly 10,000 people died from an accident caused by speeding. It may be shocking to learn that many people were wearing seat belts in these deadly crashes.
- Drunk Driving: Another major cause of fatal accidents is driving under the influence (DUI) or while intoxicated. Approximately 30 people are killed per day by intoxicated drivers, which is about one person every 50 minutes. In 2018 alone, 10,511 people died from DUI-related accidents.
- Distracted Driving: In the same year, the number of fatalities caused by distracted driving was 2,841 or 7.8 percent of total fatalities.
Motorcycle Accident Statistics: According to NHTSA
- In the year 2018, there were 4,985 motorcycle-related deaths caused by a traffic crash. While this was a 4.7% reduction from 2017, this statistic tends to remain static over time. It may continue to reduce if drivers follow traffic rules and take safety precautions.
- One-third of all motorcycle accident deaths were the result of not wearing a helmet. Helmets prevent head injury, which is one of the leading causes of death from accidents.
- Motorcycle riders suffer accident-related fatality and severe injuries at a significantly higher rate than other motor vehicle accidents. Driving a motorcycle is a risky activity, which is why it is important to obey traffic regulations and hold those who are not accountable for risking the safety of others.
Car Accident Statistics: According to IIHS
- According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 36,560 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2018. Deaths occurred in 33,654 crashes involving 51,872 motor vehicles.
- Twenty percent of deaths were people under 25 years of age in 2018. Younger drivers simply make more mistakes and take greater risks.
- Thirty-nine percent of individual deaths were from single-vehicle accidents, and 61% were from multiple vehicle accidents. It takes only one careless driver to cause the death of several.
Rollover crashes cause about 6,500 deaths per year. Rollovers can be caused by distracted driving, poorly maintained roads, defective vehicles, etc.
The Fatality Rate:
As mentioned before, the fatality rate in motorcycle accidents is higher, but more people die from car accidents overall because there are simply more passenger vehicles on the road.
In the year 2018, fatalities from motorcycle crashes accounted for 13.6% of the 36,560 total motor vehicle deaths that year, while 62.6% of fatalities were passenger vehicle occupants.
If you review the Insurance Information Institute (III) statistics, the fatality rate from motorcycle accidents was 25.67% in 2017 but less than 1% from car accidents, meaning you are more likely to die if involved in a motorcycle accident than if you are involved in a passenger car.
Therefore, everyone must work to prevent any auto accidents. You must follow critical preventive measures such as driving slowly, staying sober, and obeying all of the traffic rules.
