Lane departure warnings, crash avoidance systems, backup cameras – new automotive safety technologies are preventing accidents and savings lives. Sadly, a remarkable number of collisions still happen in the United States every year. Recent findings from the National Safety Council show that 4.4 million people needed medical attention after car accidents in 2015 – an 8-percent increase since 2014 and the largest jump in 50 years.
All of those injuries resulted in a total of $400 billion in medical expenses and lost income, and that’s not counting the most tragic cost: more than 38,000 Americans died on the road in 2015, the deadliest year since 2007.
Here’s some good news: Research shows the vast majority of car accidents are preventable. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration examined the primary causes of crashes over two and a half years and found that the critical reason behind 94 percent of those wrecks was driver error.
Here’s a closer look at the main causes of car accidents in the United States:
- Alcohol
One-third of all road accident fatalities in New Mexico involve alcohol, according to research from the NHTSA. Alcohol affects your coordination, reaction time and depth perception.
You should never get behind the wheel after driving. Also, keep your distance from motorists who show these signs of intoxication:
- Swerving;
- Not using headlights at night;
- Not using turn signals, or using the wrong turn signal;
- Almost hitting a vehicle or another object in the road;
- Abnormal braking and accelerating patterns;
- Or stopping too far before or after a stop line.
- Distractions
Driving while distracted is defined as averting your attention from the road to focus on some other activity such as eating, talking or adjusting the radio – and yes, that includes texting and tweeting. The NHTSA found that 16 percent of all car accidents in 2014 involved distracted drivers – and if that number sounds low, bear in mind that it amounts to 431,000 injured people.
- Speeding
According to data from the NHTSA, in 2012, speeding contributed to 30 percent of all fatal crashes in the United States. As a result, more than 10,000 lives were lost.