Global Road Accident Statistics
According to the World Health Organization, 93% of global road accidents occur in low and middle-income countries. That is partly because they do not have the right infrastructures in place, but even in high-income countries, millions of road accidents occur every year.
Here are some other interesting statistics about road accidents around the world, according to the WHO:
- Injuries from road accidents are the leading cause of death in children and young adults, aged between five and twenty-nine.
- More than half of all road traffic deaths around the world are among vulnerable road users, which includes pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists.
- Road accidents typically cost countries around 3% of their gross domestic product.
Other insightful statistics about road accidents around the world include:
- 20 to 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries from road accidents, which often result in long-term disabilities.
- Annually, road accidents are the single greatest cause of death of healthy United States citizens travelling abroad.
Road Accident Statistics For The United States
A car accident lawyer knows only too well how many road accidents happen each year. That is because lawyers who specialise in personal injury claims, in which injured parties can claim compensation to cover things like medical expenses and loss of income, regularly see victims of car collisions.
In the United States, more than 38,000 people die every year on U.S. roadways. That means the traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Other road accident statistics for the United States include:
- Road accidents are the leading cause of death for people aged between 1 and 54.
- 4.4 million people are seriously injured each year.
- There are more road accident deaths in the U.S. than in any other high-income country.
- Road accidents cost the U.S. more than $380 million each year in direct medical costs.
- The economic impact of road accidents costs U.S. citizens $871 billion each year.
Road Accident Statistics For Great Britain
What about on home turf? In Great Britain, the latest figures may show that road accidents and road crash deaths are down, but that is only due to the lockdowns imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Statistics for the period covering June 2020 to June 2021 show that in Great Britain:
- There were 1,390 road accident deaths. That is an 11% drop compared to the previous year, ending June 2020.
- There were 119,850 road accident injuries, from mild to severe. That is a decrease of 9% compared to the previous year, ending June 2020.
- Interestingly, the reduction in total injuries from road accidents was greater than the reduction in traffic, which saw a reduction of 5% between June 2020 and June 2021.
The Reality Behind The Statistics
When looking at stats, it is easy to forget that the numbers represent real people. Millions of people around the world suffer mild or severe injuries or die from road accidents every year. The sad thing is, most of those accidents could be avoided. Leading causes for road accidents include speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, not using safety equipment like helmets and seatbelts, and being distracted while driving.
If drivers paid more attention to the rules of the road, many injuries and deaths could be avoided each year, though unsafe road infrastructures are yet another leading cause of road traffic accidents. Therefore, more investment in roads in certain countries could help to reduce injuries and fatalities.
