Want to be a safer driver? Get the facts every driver should be aware of before they get behind the wheel.
Knowing what you’re up against and what to be aware of, and combining that knowledge with increased vigilance on the road will help protect you and your loved ones. Here are 25 important driving facts geared to keep you safe.
Vehicle Crash Facts
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people in the first three decades of life.
- There are an average of 92 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States every day.
- Three million people in the U.S. are injured every year in motor vehicle crashes.
- In Arizona, there were 916 fatal crashes resulting in 1,010 deaths in 2018.
- Nearly 19 percent of those involved in motor vehicle crashes were pedestrians, and 15 percent were motorcyclists.
- Alcohol causes 40% of the crashes that result in death; speeding causes 30%; and reckless driving is responsible for 33% of fatal crashes.
Distracted Driving Facts
- In 2018, distracted driving claimed 2,841 lives. Types of distracted driving include talking on a cell phone, eating or drinking, talking to a passenger, reaching to get something from the back seat, and operating the radio or navigation system.
- Holding and looking at a cell phone while driving increases your odds of being in a crash. Visual-manual cell phone interaction triples your odds of involvement in a road departure crash, and increases your risk of rear-ending the vehicle in front of you by more than a multiple of seven.
- Distracted drivers were reported as a factor in nearly 1 in 5 crashes that resulted in injury.
- Using a cell phone while driving reduces the amount of brain activity applied to driving by 37%.
Drowsy Driving Facts
- Driving while drowsy is similar to driving under the influence of alcohol.
- It’s estimated that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the result of driver fatigue each year.
- You are three times more likely to be in a vehicle crash if you’re fatigued.
- More than 1,550 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes each year due to drowsy driving.
Drunk and Impaired Driving Facts
- One person dies every 50 minutes in drunk-driving crashes.
- 29 percent of motor vehicle traffic fatalities were caused by drunk driving in 2018.
- Just .02 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) leads to declines in visual function and the ability to divide attention — two skills important in driving.
- 20 percent of surveyed drivers tested positive for potentially impairing drugs in a roadside survey.
- The number of drivers testing positive for marijuana increased 48 percent from 2007 to 2014.
Teen Driving Facts
- Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths.
- Teen drivers aged 16-19 are three times as likely than drivers aged 20 or older to be in a fatal crash. This risk increases when teens have teen passengers, when the driver is male, or if the driver is newly licensed.
- 40% of teens in the United States say they have been in a car when the driver put others at risk by using a cell phone.
Seat Belt Facts
- Use of seat belts reduces the risk of death by 45 percent and cuts the risk of injury by 50 percent.
- Those not wearing seat belts are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle in the event of a crash.
- Seat belts have saved more than 255,000 lives since 1975.
Knowing the facts leads to responsible driving. If you’d like to learn more and improve your safety on the road, contact us at Stop and Go Driving School. We have many driver’s education options for drivers of all levels.
Sources:
https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state
https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/fatigued-driving
