Avalon Chen
- Apr 26
- 3 min read

Safer Roads for Save Lives

In today’s fast paced world, navigating the roads is especially challenging, specifically for inexperienced drivers. In the United States, 43,000 people die in a fatal motor vehicle crash every year. In Washington State, motor vehicle crashes are the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury death and the leading cause of major trauma. It is one of the top reasons for death in the US overall. Most motor vehicle injuries are largely preventable and are mainly due to human behavior rather than poor road design, vehicle issues, or weather.

Fatal Car Crash statistics

From 2008–2010, 71 percent of residents who died in crashes were males
The highest death rates were among younger males ages 15–34 and older men ages 75 and older. This is because in crashes of the same severity, older drivers are more likely to die
Motor vehicle related death rates are higher in low income neighborhoods and among those with lower education. According to the Washington State Department of Health, people with only high school education or less have higher rates of fatal car crashes, showing a clear disparity in road safety outcomes based on levels of education.
In Washington State, Native Americans are disproportionally affected by fatal car crashes.

The main causes of fatal crashes are...

impairment, which includes alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription and over-the-counter medications
Off the road collisions
Speeding

From 2009 to 2011, 71.4% of traffic fatalities involved one of these three factors. Impaired driving claimed 682 lives (48.4% of deaths). Speeding claimed 551 lives (39.1% of deaths). Off-the-road collisions claimed 621 lives (44.1% of deaths).

Drunk Drivers

From 2009–2011, the most common drinking driver fatality involved:

Males (79.5 percent)
16–25 year olds (56.1 percent)
Single motor vehicle occupants or riders (66.8 percent)
Driving on rural roads (60.3 percent)
Driving at night (51.6 percent)

Young Drivers

Drivers 16- 20 years old were more likely than drivers 21 and older to speed, overcorrect, drive in a reckless or negligent manner, drive inattentively or distractedly, disobey signs, signals, or officers, and pass improperly. This because they are inexperienced drivers and also have not fully developed the ability to make good decisions.

Seatbelts

Proper use of seatbelts reduces MV deaths by up to 60%, so be sure to buckle up!
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2020, 23,824 vehicle occupants were killed, 51% of which were not wearing their seatbelts. It is estimated that around 375,000 lives have been saved by wearing seat belts.
At just 30 mph, a person not wearing a seat belt in a crash has the same experience as falling from a 3-story building or getting rammed by a 3.5 ton elephant.
According to the CDC, 43% of high schoolers admit to not always wearing seatbelts.

Safe Driving Tips

Monitor your speed. Speeding is the number one factor in fatal crashes for drivers 16-25 years old. In Washington State, 16-25 year olds were twice as likely to be speeding or passing improperly compared to older, more experienced drivers
Stay sober. In Washington state, 48% of fatal crashes involved impairment, which is the usage of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol related incidents contribute to 16% of fatal teen accidents
Switch your phone to do not disturb mode. Do not pick up your phone when driving as it causes distraction and may lead you to driver dangerously
Buckle up! Using your seat belt will reduce your chance of a fatal accident by 60%.

References

Safer Roads for Save Lives

Recent Posts