Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for people between the ages of 5 and 34 in the United States.  What’s more, every 14 seconds, an adult in the United States is treated in an emergency department for crash-related injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, found that more than 30,000 people are killed in crashes each year in the United States. In fact, the CDC found that in 2005 alone, in addition to the toll on victims’ family and friends, crash deaths resulted in $41 billion in medical and work loss costs.5

In addition, a CDC study revealed that within a one-year period, the cost of medical care and productivity losses associated with injuries from motor vehicle crashes exceeded $99 billion — with the cost of direct medical care accounting for $17 billion. The total annual cost amounts to nearly $500 for each licensed driver in the United States. The one-year costs of fatal and non-fatal crash-related injuries totaled $70 billion (71% of total costs) for people riding in motor vehicles, such as cars and light trucks, $12 billion for motorcyclists, $10 billion for pedestrians, and $5 billion for bicyclists.6

More findings:

  • Costs related to fatal motor vehicle-related injuries totaled $58 billion. The cost of nonfatal injuries resulting in hospitalization amounted to $28 billion, and the cost of injuries to people treated in emergency departments and released was $14 billion.
  • More men were killed (70%) and injured (52%) in motor vehicle crashes than women. Injuries and deaths among men represented 74% ($74 billion) of all costs.
  • Teens and young adults made up 28% of all fatal and nonfatal motor vehicle injuries and 31% of the costs ($31 billion). These young people represented only 14% of the U.S. population.

Car accidents are dangerous enough if you are in a vehicle when they occur, but imagine what can happen when you are on a motorcycle. Motorcyclists made up 6% of all fatalities and injuries, but 12% of the costs, likely due to the severity of their injuries.

Stay tuned for Part 3! Read Part 1 here.

Sources

4http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p0104_vitalsigns.html

5http://www.cdc.gov/injury/pressroom/

6 http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r100825.htm