You are aware, of course, that driving is dangerous. You see news stories about accidents all the time. However, you are not sure just how dangerous it is or what risks you really face.
Since it is important to know what the risks look like so that you can learn how to stay safe, let’s take a look at a few important statistics:
- About 50% of fatalities in red-light accidents come from people in cars that get hit or pedestrians. The other half of those are in the cars that are running the red lights.
- There are nearly 5 million wrecks in the United States every year. Most of these do not result in fatalities or serious injuries, but the sheer number means that everyone faces risks.
- More than half of these crashes can be traced back to aggressive driving. The most common infraction is breaking the speed limit.
- Speed makes a huge difference for pedestrians. Someone who gets hit by a car that is going 20 miles per hour will live in 90% of these accidents. Increase that speed to 40 MPH, and the odds of survival plummet to 20%.
- Winter conditions contribute to about 17% of all accidents.
- Those driving on icy roads may need 10 times longer to bring their car to a halt than those driving in the summer.
- Backover injuries happen more often to young kids under 5, in part due to their small stature.
Now that you can see just how risky it is to drive, walk, bike or run near the highway, make sure you know how to seek compensation if you get injured.
Contact an Easton car accident injury firm to learn more.
