Auto Accident Information

Every year, it is safe to assume that at least three quarters of the total population of the United States will spend some amount of time traveling in a motor vehicle. It is nearly impossible to pin point a precise statistic. However, consider the fact that there are roughly two functioning motor vehicles per person in the country. Either way one chooses to look at it, millions and millions of people will travel by car, van or bus each year. Yet, no one seems at all alarmed or concerned by this factor. People get more scared about flying on a plane or tornado season than their weekly commute.

The sad fact of the matter is that they should be. The facts simply speak for themselves. For starters, the average tornado lasts only 10 minutes. Each year, around 60 people are killed as the result of tornadoes. Compare that to the 182 hours each person spends in a car each year with the 40,000 people who die every year in motor vehicle crashes. As for airplanes, the chances of dying in an automobile accident are 500% more likely than that of in an aeronautical disaster. In fact, you are even 25% more likely to die while walking than while flying in a plane.  

The facts get more disturbing as they are examined closer. Motor vehicle accidents are the seventh most likely cause of death for any age group in the United States. The only causes more deadly are heart diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. Perhaps most alarming is the fact that motor vehicle accidents account for the leading cause of death among children and adults up to age 25.

Motor vehicle accidents cause more than trauma for the operating victims and their families. These accidents also kill and injure pedestrians, damage property and cause disruptions in traffic patterns that cause millions of dollars in lost profits. Consider the fact that one half of all traffic accidents that cause property damage result in serious injury or death.

Unfortunately, a great deal of these injuries and fatalities can be easily prevented. Nearly two thirds of all motor vehicle fatalities occur in situations where the passengers or operators were not properly restrained into the vehicle. Most states in the United States enforce laws which regulate the proper use of safety restraints, such as seat belts and air bags. 

Disclaimer: THIS INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Please consult with a Florida car accident attorney in your local area for professional legal representation.