What kind of crash is responsible for most fatalities

Pedestrians accounted for 17 percent. Motorcycle riders accounted for another 14 percent, pedal cyclists, other nonoccupants and unknown occupants accounted for the remainder.

Source: U. Includes motorcycle riders and restricted and graduated drivers license holders in some states. Speeding is at the top of the list of related factors for drivers involved in fatal crashes. In , 8, drivers who were involved in fatal crashes or 17 percent were speeding. In addition, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS has found that rising state speed limits over the 25 years from to have cost nearly 37, lives, including more than 1, in alone.

By , 42 states had maximum speed limits of 70 mph or higher. On some portion of their roads, 22 states had maximum speed limits of 70 mph, and 11 states had maximum speed limits of 75 mph. Eight states had 80 mph limits, and drivers in Texas can legally drive 85 mph on one road, according to the IIHS. These increases in speed cancel out the safety benefits resulting from vehicle improvements like airbags and better structural design.

By 56 mph, researchers from the IIHS, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the manufacturer of the test dummies found that a head-on crash between two similar vehicles traveling at the same speed would result in severe brain and neck injury and likely result in leg fractures.

Ranking second was the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication, affecting 5, drivers, or 10 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes. Failure to yield the right of way, and failure to stay in the proper lane were cited as third and fourth, with a total of about 7, drivers, or almost 14 percent of all drivers in fatal crashes exhibiting these behaviors.

Drivers operating a vehicle in a careless manner were the fifth most likely to be involved in a fatal crash 3, drivers or 6. View Archived Tables Seatbelt Laws Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have a primary seatbelt enforcement law, which allows law enforcement officers to stop a car for noncompliance with seatbelt laws.

The other states have secondary laws; officials can only issue seatbelt violations if they stop motorists for other infractions. New Hampshire, the only state that does not have a seatbelt law that applies to adults, has a child restraint law.

Seatbelts were in use Generally, states with stronger seatbelt enforcement laws achieve higher rates of seatbelt use than states with weaker laws. State seat belt usage rates for published by NHTSA can be found here; details on state seatbelt laws published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety can be found here. View Archived Tables Motor vehicle crashes by time of year Traffic fatalities spike during different periods. Memorial Day and Labor Day are always 3.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA gauges distracted driving by collecting data on distraction-affected crashes, which focus on distractions that are most likely to result in crashes such as dialing a cellphone, texting or being distracted by another person or an outside event. Those accidents result in a staggering , injuries, but only about 1, fatalities annually. The vast majority of rear rend collisions — about 87 percent — are caused by distracted driving.

These types of accidents frequently occur during rush hour or even as a result of other accidents that cause a driver to stop suddenly in the middle of traffic. Only about 7. Rollover accidents are thankfully uncommon. If they happened more often, they would be responsible for far more serious injuries and deaths.

Passengers involved in these accidents are frequently ejected completely or partially out of rolled vehicles. Remember that your only job when you are behind the wheel is to get where you are going safely. We have all had drivers blast past us on the highway, even when we were going over the speed limit ourselves. It is not unusual for people to drive 10, 15, or even 20 miles over the posted speed limit.

Keep in mind that the faster you drive, the slower your reaction time. Any person who drinks and gets behind the wheel is a danger to themselves and others. When you drink, your senses and cognitive functions are dulled. Get behind the wheel and your reaction times are slowed and your decision-making capabilities are compromised. If you decide to drink, find a sober part to take you home.

Weaving in and out of traffic. Cutting other drivers off. These are all examples of reckless driving and each can cause a very serious accident. If you see anyone driving like this around you, back off and give them space.

There is nothing you are going to do that is going to make the driver more safely. Protect yourself and call More specifically, rain. Water creates slick roadways and can cause cars to slip and slide without warning. If you are stuck in a rainstorm, drive extra carefully.

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