How many fatal car accidents are considered acceptable? Do you know how many people died in car accidents last year? Have you lost a loved one in this way? The sad truth is that even though safety devices have increase in recent years, so have deaths on the roads. Read on to learn more. If you have lost a loved one and want a free legal consultation with a compassionate, experienced personal injury attorney then we recommend you contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
A look at the statistics for 2015, 2016, and 2017
The statistics we are discussing were released by the National Safety Council and cover the entire country. In 2015, the number of fatal car accidents was fewer than 40,000, as it had been for more then two decades. In 2016 the number capped 40,000 for the first time in many years with a total number of deaths of 40,327. That number did drop slightly in 2017 for a total of 40,100 but this is still rising when compared to previous years.
Comparing from one year to another
The estimate that has been released for 2017 shows that the number of fatal car accidents in the United States has gone up more than 6% since 2015. If this is accurate, then it will be the second year in a row in which there were more than 40,000 deaths on the roads. Is this an acceptable number?
It is not all about deaths – injuries are on the rise too
Of course, the reality is that though deaths are the most tragic, injuries are extremely common as well. Estimates for 2017 show that more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. suffered from a serious injury in some type of vehicle accident. This is very similar to the number for 2016. The number of miles the average driver drove rose by less than 1%. The total cost of all these accidents and injuries? More than $410 billion in 2017 only.
Why are fatal car accident numbers on the rise?
While there is no way to definitively answer this, road experts do say that there are some likely culprits. Most notably, they point to the increase in technology in most vehicles. Yes, it is true that new technology has been added to make vehicles safer but unfortunately it often distracts drivers. This is considered to be a huge issue, as is drivers using cell phones while driving.
What to do if you are injured in a car accident
Have you been injured in a car accident? Have you lost a loved one in a car accident? Then reach out to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation. We can look at the specifics of your case, offer our advice, and help you move forward. You are not in this alone.
