Vehicle-Related Accident Statistics
Vehicle-related accident statistics for 2008 indicate improvements in many areas of traffic safety: a decrease in fatalities from 2007, an increase in seat belt use, and a reduction in alcohol-related fatalities. Although statistics show a decrease in overall fatalities, vehicle-related accidents in the United States continue to be a burden to society. In 2002, the economic costs associated with vehicle-related accidents totaled $230.6 billion.
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Speeding Statistics and Vehicle-Related Accidents
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As one of the most prevalent causes of vehicle-related accidents, speeding-related crashes claimed the lives of 11,674 people in 2008, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration; the NHTSA estimates that speeding accounts for $40.4 billion in economic costs each year. According to NHTSA statistics, of the young males between 15 to 20 years old who were involved in fatal accidents, 37 percent were speeding. Speeding contributed to 31 percent of fatal crashes in 2008. Statistics compiled by the NHTSA show that speeding among drivers involved in alcohol-related crashes is common.
Vehicle-Related Accidents Involving Alcohol
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NHTSA statistics show that of the drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2008, 41 percent with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 and above were speeding. This shows a high rate of speeding among alcohol-impaired drivers when compared with speeding-related fatalities occurring in 15 percent of sober drivers. Even though alcohol-related fatalities accounted for 32 percent of the total fatalities for 2008, the 11,773 lives lost represented a 6 percent decrease in alcohol-related fatalities from the year before. NHTSA data indicates that 34 percent of drivers aged 21 to 24 in 2008 were inebriated. Drivers aged 25 to 34 accounted for an additional 31 percent with 35- to 44-year-old drivers making up 25 percent.
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Leading Cause of Death
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Vehicle-related accidents led the way in 2008, accounting for the most deaths for every age group from 3 through 34 years old in 2006. According to the NHTSA, 37,261 people were killed in vehicle-related accidents in 2008 in 5,811,000 vehicle-related accidents. Although such accidents were the leading cause of death among individuals between 3 and 34 in 2006, 2008 saw a decrease in traffic fatalities from 1998. In 1998, the traffic fatality rate was at 1.58 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) compared to 1.27 per 100 million VMT in 2008. Even as fatality rates declined, NHTSA statistics indicate that, on average, 102 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes in 2008, or one vehicle-related fatality every 14 minutes.
Seat Belts Save Lives
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The NHTSA data for 2008 indicates seat belt usage increased to 82 percent nationwide. The NHTSA estimates that 255,115 lives have been saved by seat belts since 1975, with 13,250 of those lives saved in 2008 alone. The NHTSA believes that the usage of seatbelts by all individuals over the age of 4 in passenger vehicles would have accounted for an additional 4,152 lives saved in 2008, bringing the total to 17,402.
Decreasing Vehicle-Related Accidents
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Alcohol and speeding continue to be serious issues on U.S. highways. However, the decrease in traffic fatalities from 2007 to 2008 and the increase in the use of seat belts nationwide are good signs, possibly indicating a continued progression towards fewer vehicle-related accident fatalities in the coming years.
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