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Crash Costs and Statistics
The highest price we pay for car crashes is in the loss of human lives, however society also bears the brunt of the many costs associated with motor vehicle accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the estimated cost of motor vehicle crashes in 2000 (their latest available data) was $230.6 billion, or $820 for every person living in the United States and 2.3% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. These costs include productivity losses, property damage, medical costs, rehabilitation costs, travel delay, legal and court costs, emergency services, insurance administration and employer costs.
A 2008 report by the Automobile Association of America states that according to the Federal Highway Administration, the per-person cost of traffic fatalities in 2005 dollars is $3.2 million and $68,170 for injuries. AAA estimates the cost of traffic crashes to be $166.7 billion. Costs include medical, emergency services, police services, property damage, lost productivity, and quality of life. Read AAA executive summary (PDF file)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 43,300 traffic deaths, and 2.5 million non-fatal injuries in 2006.
Who Pays
Crash Type & Driver Behavior
Fatalities
Injuries
Property Damage
State-by-State Statistics & Costs
Who Pays
Private insurers pay approximately 50% of all motor vehicle crash costs. Individual crash victims pay about 26%, while third parties such as uninvolved motorists delayed in traffic, charities and health care providers pay about 14%. Federal revenues account for 6%, while state and local municipalities pick up about 3%. Overall, those not directly involved in crashes pay for nearly three-quarters of all crash costs, primarily through insurance premiums, taxes and travel delay-adding up to an overall price tag of over $170 billion in 2003
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
Crash Type & Driver Behavior
- Nationally, police recorded 5.93 million crashes in 2006, down from 6.16 million reported crashes in 2005. Of those, an estimated 1.71 million crashes caused injuries and 4.18 million caused property damage only.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates about 10 million crashes go unreported each year.
- Alcohol-Related Crashes - involved in 41% of all fatal crashes, killing 17,525 people in 2006 - the highest level since 1992.
- Speeding - involved in 30% of all 2005 fatal crashes, killed 13,113 people.
- Speeding fatalities cost Americans approximately $40.4 billion each year.
- 38% of male drivers age 15-20 years old involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes were speeding.
- Red Light Running - more than 900 people are killed and 2,000 injured each year in crashes involving red light running.
- Fatigue - 100,000 crashes and 1,500 fatalities are the result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel each year.
- Distracted Driving - surveys show an increasing number of people "multi-task" while driving, and such behavior is contributing to crashes. Some form of driver inattention is involved in approximately 80% fo crashes according to a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Non-Use of Seatbelts=$20 billion.
(source: National Highway Traffic Administration)
Fatalities
- 43,300 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2006.
Injuries
- Injuries in motor vehilce crashes have been declining slightly over the past few years:
- 2002: 2.93 million injuries
- 2003: 2.89 million injuries
- 2004: 2.79 million injuries
- 2006: 2.54 million injuries
- Medical costs due to crash-related injuries during 2000 were $32.6 billion, representing 14% of the total cost of crashes. Medical costs accounted for 26% of costs from non-fatal injuries (latest data available).
Property Damage
- Total property damage costs for all crash types (fatal, injury and property damage only) totaled $59 billion and accounted for 26% of all total motor vehicle crash costs in 2000 (latest data available).
State-By-State Crash Statistics & Costs
The per-capita costs for each state vary from roughly $600-$1,200 compared to the nationwide average of $819. Smaller, less populated states may have lower overall costs, but they may also have fewer resources to draw on. Differences between states may also result from different reporting practices that result in more or less complete reporting of injuries from state to state.
State statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
How Medical Bills are Paid After an Auto Accident
When you buy auto insurance you need to think about what actually happens when you're in an accident and need to use it...
Updated:
February 28, 2007 1:52 PM
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