Car accidents are annually responsible for approximately 1.3 million deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projects there were an estimated 42,915 traffic fatalities in 2021, a 10.5 percent increase compared to 2020 and the highest annual percentage increase in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history.
Fifty-five percent of motor vehicle deaths were the result of single-vehicle crashes, according to 2020 statistics published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) reports that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged five to 29. More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and they are also the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad.
In addition to devastation from

Women almost twice as likely to be trapped in crashed vehicle, study finds

MVA

Women are almost twice as likely as men to become trapped in a motor vehicle after a crash and they also sustain different patterns of injury, data suggests.

The research – the first large UK study to compare sex differences in injury patterns and the likelihood of becoming trapped after a collision – could help vehicle manufacturers improve car design and safety features to reduce rates of injury in both sexes. It also strengthens calls for the inclusion of more biologically accurate crash test dummies in simulations of vehicle collisions, to investigate their impact on women.

Prof Tim Nutbeam, an emergency medicine consultant at University Hospitals Plymouth, and colleagues were motivated to carry out the study after reading Caroline Criado Perez’s bestselling book Invisible Women, which highlighted how women were more likely to be seriously injured in car crashes, because crash test dummies were modelled on the “average male”.

May 3 2022

Interstate highways with the most fatalities

Auto Accidents

Americans love the open road, and thanks to the Interstate Highway System—created in 1956—it’s relatively easy to traverse the country.

With an efficient way to travel (in theory), it’s no wonder interstates are in heavy use. In 2020 drivers drove over 709 billion miles on interstates. With that much traffic, there are bound to be a few crashes—35,766 in 2020, to be specific.

Stacker analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2020 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to determine which interstates had the most fatalities. This data covers 38,824 total fatalities FARS recorded during 2020. Those traveling through Mississippi, Wyoming, and Arkansas saw higher incidences of fatality rates per 100,000 people.

The 2020 FARS data was released on March 2, 2022. To be included in this data, a crash must have occurred in the U.S. (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), on a roadway open to the public,

Apr 29 2022

What To Do If You are Hit by an Unlicensed Driver

MVA

Because of the risks involved with driving, all drivers in the United States, including Washington State, are required to have a driver’s license to operate a vehicle. Unfortunately, there is always a percentage of people who don’t comply. At any given time, there are people driving on U.S. roads without a valid license; most often because their license was suspended or revoked. This selfish choice puts other drivers on the road with them at risk of being hit by an unlicensed driver.

Car accidents involving unlicensed drivers

According to a study published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in 2000, drivers without a valid license are responsible for 20 percent of all automobile accidents. The NHTSA estimates that 5 to 6 million car accidents

Apr 29 2022

It’s not the phone alone; Many fatal distracted driving crashes do not involve a phone

MVA

Given that April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, AAA wants motorists to be aware that, despite perceptions to the contrary, cellphones are not to blame for many of the fatal crashes involving a distracted driver. This is not to say that cellphones are not a significant and potentially deadly distraction, but many other distractions are also cause for concern.

According to the latest federal crash data, confirmed smartphone use accounts for about 12 percent of all fatal crashes involving a distracted driver. Although it is widely accepted that distracted driving crashes caused by cellphone use are highly underreported, the data clearly indicates there are many other distractions that warrant our attention as well.

AAA joined the chorus with other traffic safety partners to raise awareness also

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