Apparently, everyone agrees that there are more people dying on the American roadway this year than in the past, but how much of an increase we’re experiencing is up for debate. This month, the National Safety Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both release their research studies on car crashes / motor vehicle accident deaths so far this year. They don’t jive in number, but they do jive in the bottom line: it’s getting more dangerous to drive in America today.
From the NSC: National Safety Council has released a new fatality accident report (you can read it online here):
1. In the United States, motor-vehicle accident deaths were up 7% in first eight months of 2012.
2. From January to August of this year, 21,560 people died in car crashes. That’s up 7% from the same time period in 2011; and it’s up 5% from that same time period in 2010.
3. Medically consulted motor-vehicle injuries for the first eight months of 2012 are estimated to be about 2.2 million. That’s about the same as it was last year.
4. In terms of money, the NSC estimates that the economic impact of these motor vehicle accidents in terms of lives losts, serious injuries, and property damage is around $157 billion during this eight month time period.
From the NHTSA: Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also released its own research study regarding motor vehicle accidents, and its research finds that from January to June 2012, motor vehicle accident traffic deaths had increased almost 10 percent (10%). According to the NHTSA, that is the biggest jump since they started doing this research back in 1975.
