New Jersey drivers may be interested to learn that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people are killed in car crashes in the United States than any other developed country. In 2013, for example, there were approximately 90 vehicle deaths every day, adding up to more than 32,000 traffic fatalities for the year.
Researchers reviewed car accident data that ranged from 2000 to 2013. The numbers were then compared to 19 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan and Sweden. Accidents including motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians were also taken into consideration. In addition to having the highest auto accident crash death rate, it was also found that the U.S. was ranked first among crash deaths per 100,000 people. The U.S. was second only to Canada in the percentage of vehicle deaths involving alcohol, and it ranked 18th out of 20 in seat belt use.
The rate of vehicle deaths caused by car accidents has seen a 31 percent reduction over the last 13 years. However, the other 19 countries that were used as comparisons saw an average of 56 percent during the same 13 years. The director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control stated that the U.S. had the potential to see further reductions in the accident death rate.
Even those who are driving safely can end up in serious or even fatal car accidents. The surviving family members of a person who is killed in a car accident that was caused by another driver may want to meet with an attorney to see if the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault motorist would be an advisable way to seek compensation for the losses that they have sustained.
