Even though car crash fatalities have been on a steady decline in recent years, drivers in New Jersey and nationwide still face considerable risk when they get behind the wheel. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are one of the highest probability causes of death in the U.S.
In 2013, which is the most recent year for which CDC data is available, 33,804 people died on U.S. roadways, for a death rate of 10.7 per 100,000. Just under 2.6 million people died in the U.S. that year, so each American’s chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash–which includes cars and trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians–came out to around one in 77.
In comparison, falls kill one in 83 people, firearms kill one in 77, suicides kill one in 63 and poisoning kills one in 53. Meanwhile, homicides claim one in 161 people, drownings take one in 640 and fires kill one in 821. However, the greatest killer by far is disease. One in four die from heart disease, one in 34 succumb to diabetes and one in 46 pass away from influenza and pneumonia.
New Jersey is one of the safest jurisdictions for drivers, coming in third behind the District of Columbia and Massachusetts. Meanwhile, the most dangerous states for drivers are Montana, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
New Jersey residents injured in a car accident caused by another driver may wish to speak with an attorney. After reviewing the case, legal counsel may recommend filing a personal injury claim against the responsible driver seeking compensation for medical expenses and other damages.
