More than 90% of car crashes are caused by human error. People in the US drive approximately 3,000,000,000,000 miles annually with approximately one death for 100 million miles traveled.
Leading cause of death for persons aged 5 to 34 years.
From 2000-2008 more than 23,000 drivers and 14,000 passengers aged 16-19 years were killed in MVA (Williams AF).
In 2003 cell phone use while driving estimated to cause 330,000 total injuries, 12,000 serious to critical injuries, 2600 deaths per year (Cohen JT, Graham JD).
Observational studies indicate that 4 to 5% of drivers 16 to 24 years of age or physically interacting with a cell phone at any given moment. Driver distraction contributes to 29% of all motor vehicle crashes.
The leading cause of death among teens in the US.
Alcohol, and/ or speeding are associated with approximately 60% of automobile related fatalities.
Teen drivers are four times as likely to be involved in a collision as adult drivers.
Teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or twice as likely as neurotypical teen drivers to be in a collision.
The marked reduction in motor vehicle crash fatalities over the last couple of decades is related to public health interventions, including safer cars with airbags and self braking systems, improvements in to the built environment and roadway engineering, the increasing use of seatbelts and child safety seats, and legislation to regulate safer driving.
Racial and ethnic disparities exist with American Indian and Alaskan native persons and Black persons are more likely to be in a fatal crash then White persons. Asian individuals or half is likely to die in a roadway incident that is non-Hispanic White persons.
American Indians and Alaskan native individual pedestrians are for 5.1 times more likely to die in a roadway incident than White pedestrians.
Pedestrian fatalities are increasing in the US.
Seat belts reduce the risk of fatality for front-seat occupants in passenger cars by 45%.
Accounts for one third of deaths among teenagers in the United States.
Occupant injuries account for approximately 15% of all nonfatal injuries treated in US emergency departments.
Crash risk is highest during the first years of driving.
For each fatality there is and additional 80 persons injured.
One of every five serious injuries from driving accidents is attributed to driver sleepiness.
From 2005-2009 fatalities associated with driver distraction increased by 22%.
Between 10 and 24 years nearly 400,000 individuals are killed each year worldwide, with millions more injured: mostly in low and middle income countries.
Fatality Analysis Report System for 2004-2008 indicated 9644 passenger vehicle drivers aged 16 or 17 were involved in a fatal crash.
Drivers 15-20 years of age make up 6.4% of all drivers, but account for 10% of all motor vehicle traffic deaths and 14% of all police reported crashes resulting in injuries.
Increased accident rates in young drivers are the result of young age, inexperience and risky driving behaviors.
Fatal crash rates per mile driven for 16-17 year olds are 150% and 90% greater, respectively, than those for 18 and 19 year olds.
Most young people killed in road crashes are pedestrians, bicycle riders, motorcyclists and public transit riders.
Alcohol associated with 38% of fatal crashes.
Single largest contributing factor is alcohol impairment.
In 2018 29% of the 36,560 crash deaths in the US were attributed to impaired driving.
Responsible for the leading cause of alcohol attributable deaths.
Surveys indicate that there are more drivers on roads after using drugs and alcohol.
Studies indicate that fatal traffic crash risks of drivers who had simultaneously used drugs and alcohol exceed the fatal crash risk of driving from either alone.In 2003 14,600 deaths from motor vehicle accidents in which the driver or nonoccupant had a blood alcohol level of a the least .08 g/dL.
For every 100,000 miles driven, the crash rate for older adults is twice that of younger drivers.
Older drivers involved in a automobile accident are more likely to receive injuries that lead to disabling conditions or death.
Automobile accidents are the second most common reason for older adults to visit the emergency department for injuries.
Is many as 7500 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States may involve drivers who are drowsy.
Approximately 4% of drivers have fallen asleep while driving during the previous 30 days.
Prevalence of drowsiness while driving decreases with age, from 5.9% of adults aged 18-24 years to 1.8% of adults age 65 years or older (Wheaton AG et al).
Drowsy driving is more prevalent among men at 5%, than women at 3%.
Among men aged 18-34 years 6.9% are drowsy drivers compared with 3.5% of women of the same age.
In the above study prevalences drowsy driving was lowest among white adults at 2.9%, and highest among black adults adults at 7.0%.
Drowsy driving is more prevalent in those who sleep five hours or fewer, among snorers, among binge drinkers and among those who infrequently or never wear seatbelts.
Seatbelts reduce the risk for fatal injuries by approximately 45% and serious injuries by approximately 50% are the most effective intervention for protecting occupants.
Distracted driving is defined as the diversion of attention from activities critical for safe driving toward a competing activity and includes eating, talking, adjusting the radio, using electronic devices.
It is estimated that 9% of drivers during the day dial phones, or talk on a cell phone, or send or receive text messages.
4 to 5% of drivers age 16 to 24 years are physically interacting with a cell phone at any given moment.
Driver distraction contributes to 29% of all motor vehicle crashes.
Estimated that cell phone use among all drivers increases the risk of a crash by a factor of four.
Comparing drivers who do not use cell phones while driving, the likelihood of a safety critical event is six times higher for drivers dialing a cell phone and 23 times higher for those texting (Olson RL et al).
Young drivers, 16 to 20 years of age, have substantially higher fatality rates than the combined population of drivers of all ages: 60.3 male drivers and 25.5 female drivers per hundred thousand versus 18.5 drivers per hundred thousand.
Crash countermeasures:
Graduated drivers licensing policies have varying degrees of success in helping to reduce the risk of crashes among teenage drivers.
These policies restrict teenagers from driving in high risk situations, such as late night driving and driving with teenage passengers.
Systems that monitor the drivers performance provide feedback show promise and improving safety among drivers.
Motor vehicle crash prevention involves a combination of engineering, education, enforcement, and personal responsibility to reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions.
Engineering measures:
Electronic stability control (ESC) – prevents skidding and loss of control. Automatic emergency braking (AEB) – detects imminent collisions and brakes automatically. Lane departure warning & lane keeping assist Blind-spot detection Adaptive cruise control – maintains safe following distance. Crashworthy design – improved crumple zones, airbags, and seatbelt systems.
Road & Infrastructure Design Divided highways and roundabouts to reduce head-on collisions. Rumble strips and reflective markings to prevent lane departures. Traffic calming (speed humps, narrower lanes) in urban areas. Improved lighting and signage for better visibility. Pedestrian and cyclist separation with sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes.
Education Driver training focused on hazard perception, defensive driving, and situational awareness. Public awareness campaigns against distracted and impaired driving. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) for teens to limit high-risk driving situations. Periodic re-education for older drivers or those with traffic violations.
Enforcement Strict enforcement of speed limits and seat belt laws. Zero tolerance for impaired driving (alcohol, drugs, fatigue). Distracted driving laws targeting mobile phone use and inattention. Use of red-light and speed cameras to deter violations. Vehicle inspections for mechanical safety (tires, brakes, lights).
Personal Responsibility Avoid distractions: no texting, eating, or multitasking while driving. Never drive impaired: alcohol, drugs, or extreme fatigue slow reaction time. Follow speed limits: higher speeds mean longer stopping distances. Maintaining the vehicle: brakes, tires, and lights in good condition. Buckle up: seatbelts reduce risk of death by ~45%. Adjust for conditions: slow down in rain, fog, or at night.
Emerging Strategies Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles to reduce human error. Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. Data analytics and AI to predict high-risk zones and optimize road safety interventions. Add to motor vehicle accidents