Hoping to improve your safety on the road in 2019? The best place to start is by looking into some key car accident facts and statistics. The more you know about how and why accidents happen, the easier they are to avoid.
Below are seven key facts to get you started:
- Men are responsible for double the amount of car accidents that are caused by women.
- Overall, when looking at fatal wrecks, alcohol use can be linked to about 40 percent of them. This skyrockets to 75 percent from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m.
- While many people think that long trips increase the risks, the reality is that most accidents happen no more than three miles from home.
- Having a conversation on the phone while you drive makes it 400 percent more likely that you will get involved in an accident.
- Hatchbacks and sports cars show higher odds of getting in accidents than other vehicle types.
- Fourteen teenagers pass away from car-accident related injuries daily in the United States.
- Some studies have found that rollover accidents show the greatest odds of leading to a fatality. This was found after looking at rollovers, side impacts, rear-end accidents and head-on collisions.
Does this help paint a picture of the risk that you’re going to face in 2019? As you can see, it also shows you some key ways to reduce the risk: Don’t talk on the phone, don’t drive late at night, don’t drink and drive.
Of course, just doing these things does not completely eliminate the danger. Make sure you know what steps to take to seek compensation for your medical bills and lost wages if you get injured in an accident.