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NSC estimate shows car crash deaths for 2017 exceed 40,000

On Behalf of | Jul 18, 2018 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Earlier in 2018, the National Safety Council released a preliminary estimate on car crash data for 2017, and for the second year in a row, the number of traffic deaths in the U.S. exceeded 40,000. There were an estimated 40,100 fatalities in all, compared to 40,327 in 2016. Drivers in New York will want to know more about this and other recent trends.

The NSC collects monthly data on fatalities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and this, together with data from the National Center for Health Statistics, formed the basis for its estimates. The number includes deaths that occurred more than a year after a given crash as well as deaths occurring on public and private areas like parking lots and driveways.

In addition to fatalities, there were 4.57 million people injured in car accidents in 2017. On average, the U.S. saw 12.28 deaths for every 100,000 people and 1.25 deaths for every 100 million miles traveled. Both represent a 2 percent decrease from 2016. The total number of miles driven by American motorists went up about 1 percent.

The NSC President and CEO has made a statement expressing how unacceptable the current numbers are and pointing out how complacency is only making things worse. Crashes and injuries are also costing society an exorbitant amount: $413.8 billion, it is estimated, in 2017.

Various factors, from alcohol intoxication to smartphone distraction to drowsiness, can be to blame for the high number of auto accidents. Victims who believe that another driver’s negligence caused an accident that led to their injuries might want to meet with an attorney to see what recourse they might have.