• McCarthy Collision Center

Call 816-224-7575 Directions
«
»

40+ Wild Yet True Car Crash Statistics in the US (2021)

May 21, 2021

Getting into a car crash can be the most terrifying experience of your life. Luckily, the odds that you’ll be in a vehicle accident are just 1 in 366 for every 1,000 miles you drive. (Hey, that’s not so bad!) However, as that odometer ticks up, so too do those odds; Esurance reports that about 77% of drivers will get into an auto collision at some point, so you’d really need the luck of the Irish to find yourself in the minority. (Hey, now I’m terrified again!)

We feel that knowing the data behind vehicle crashes helps alleviate (some) those fears. So, we’ve gathered the most unusual and incredible car accident statistics for you to hopefully get out of your own head and back on the road with confidence. Some of them are sobering. Some of them are eye-opening. All of them are true. Let’s get started.

fatal car crash stats graphic
  1. Just 5% of all car crashes results in a fatality.
  2. The incorporation of new car safety features over the last decade has reduced the rate of car crashes by 12% and fatalities by 22%.
  3. During the first nine months of the 2020 pandemic, traffic fatalities rose by nearly 5%, but overall travel dropped by 15% and the number of car crashes decreased by an estimated 35%.
  4. Nearly 85,000 vehicles illegally pass school buses every year. (Please report these people! Check here for resources and contact information.)
  5. Almost 60% of deadly car accidents involve just one vehicle.
  6. Having the common cold can reduce your driving reaction times to that of a drunk driver (BAC of 0.08%).
  7. An estimated 20% of drivers report to putting on makeup, grooming their hair and/or shaving while driving.
  8. Conservative estimates note that annual police-reported DUIs represent just 1% of the over 110 million self-reported drunk drivers who were never arrested.
  9. The economic costs associated with automobile crashes in the U.S. is estimated to be somewhere between $300-400 billion.
  10. About 50% of all fatal car crashes occurred in rural areas.
  11. There are over 6 million car crashes per year, or about 16,500 collisions per day, in the U.S.
  12. Over 90 people die in automobile accidents each day, resulting in nearly 40,000 deaths per year.
  13. Each year, 2 million people are permanently injured or disabled due to vehicle crashes.
  14. California and Texas see the most fatal car crashes, at 3,200 and 3,300 per year, respectively; Vermont and D.C. see the fewest, at 60 and 30, respectively. (Missouri and Kansas sit near the middle, with 900 and 700 fatal vehicle collisions per year, respectively.)
  15. Weekends are the most dangerous times to drive.
car insurance premiums with violations statistics
  1. Driving 10 mph over the speed limit increases crash risk by 10%, but driving 10 mph under the speed limit increases crash risk by 15%.
  2. Almost 60% of pickup truck drivers who are killed in crashes do not wear seat belts.
  3. There is strong evidence to suggest that shorter and lighter-weight drivers are more likely to sustain crash-related injuries.
  4. Approximately 15,000 car accidents and 7,500 related fatalities per year are caused by “drowsy driving” or a driver who’s fallen asleep at the wheel.
  5. One out of five car accidents are caused by cell phone use/texting.
  6. You’re 23 times more likely to get in a crash when you drive while handling a mobile device.
  7. Speeding accounts for over 10,000 fatalities per year, or 30% of all traffic-related deaths.
  8. The most common locations for a minor car accident are parking lots and at stop signs.
  9. The most common locations for a major car accident are rural highways and busy intersections.
  10. U.S. fatal car accidents on highways are 3.5 times higher than in the UK.
  11. Child safety seats save over 300 lives per year. (Read more about Kansas’s child safety seat laws.)
  12. About 10 million annual car crashes are never reported.
  13. Driving while intoxicated is the most dangerous thing you can do behind the wheel, as you’re 36 times more likely to get in a crash.
  14. Did you know that drunk driving accounts for approximately one car-crash death every 48 minutes in America – or 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities?
  15. Driving drunk causes about 30 deaths per day and over 11,000 deaths annually – and that’s not even counting the 800 daily and 300,000 annual injuries.
  16. If those stats aren’t sobering to you, maybe you can let your personal bank account know that getting a DUI also comes with a possible fine of up to $1,000 in Kansas (or upwards of $10,000 federally) and can increase car insurance premiums by roughly 70%. Got more than one DUI? You’re looking at average insurance premium increases of over $1,000 per month. Yikes.
fatal car crash stats by sex graphic
  1. Between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., nearly 50% of all vehicle-related pedestrian deaths involve someone with a BAC of over 0.08%.
  2. About 60% of American drivers will be involved in an alcohol-related car accident at some point.
  3. Over 50% of drunk drivers will be between the age of 21 and 34 years old.
  4. America’s yearly cost of alcohol-related car accidents – this includes the treatment of injuries, autobody repairs near you, property damage, and fatality services, to name a few – is more than $60 billion.
  5. Icy or snowy road conditions account for about 160,000 vehicle crashes each year/winter. (Read more about how to handle an accident caused by ice.)
  6. The average auto liability claim for property damage is over $3,500; for bodily injuries, the claim amount is close to $20,000.
  7. Compared to women, men are 300% more likely to die in a drunk-driving related crash.23) The most common cause of fatality by motor vehicle is drunk driving, followed by distracted driving and speeding.
  8. US Highway 24, through Jackson County, Missouri, has one of the highest crash rates (19.09) in the Midwest.
  9. Getting rear-ended is the most common type of car crash in America (29% of all crashes). In fact, our Kansas City body shops perform more rear-end repairs (e.g. bumper/fender replacements, fixing trunk lids, and correcting bent frames) than virtually any other type of major collision repair service.
  10. What’s the deadliest day to drive? You’d think it would be St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s not. The most dangerous day for drivers is August 2, per IIHS data.

But if the luck of the Irish isn’t on your side and you do get into a minor fender-bender or car accident with a drunk driver in Kansas City, we might be able to lend a hand. Call us at 800-NEW-AGAIN to request a tow to your nearest McCarthy body shop. We’ll assess the damage for free, help you make an insurance claim, and get you back on the road. And if the car is considered totaled, we’ll help you get the most money out of it. Safe driving!

Posted in Car Tips, McCarthy Collision Center News | Comments Off on 40+ Wild Yet True Car Crash Statistics in the US (2021)

Connect with us