A deadly crash can happen with any type of car accident. Even a small fender bender can cause enough shock to induce a heart attack. An attempt to exit a vehicle after a collision with a non-moving object can result in a trip and fatal fall. Yet, some types of automobile accidents are more likely overall to cause fatalities. Read on to learn more…
Single-Vehicle Crashes
According to the National Safety Council, roughly 12,800,000 automobile crash accidents occurred in 2022. Of those accidents, 42,500 fatal crashes resulted in 46,027 deaths. The greatest number of fatal crashes (56%) and total fatalities (54%) happened in single-vehicle accidents that involved pedestrians, non-collision scenarios and fixed objects.
Roadway Departures (RwD)
As noted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (DOT FHWA), a separate study of fatalities across a two-year period from 2016 to 2018 revealed that 54,475 deaths on America’s highways and byways were from roadway departures in which one or more vehicles crossed the center line or went off the side of a road. Head-on collisions with other vehicles and objects resulted in the most harm during the two years (i.e., 15,744 of those deaths).
Four Critical Collisions
Head-on, angled, rear-end and other collisions that involve two or more vehicles are so deadly that the NSC found that those types caused 43% of all fatalities in 2022. One study of car accidents in Fremont, California showed that 119 of 189 fatal accidents were the result of a rear-end collision. Collision accidents also caused the most injuries to survivors (i.e., 71% of all incidents and 78% of all injuries). Collisions with a fixed object caused 26% of the fatalities that year. Non-collision rollovers, other types of non-collision scenarios and pedestrian accidents made up the rest.
Of the four types that involved two or more vehicles, angled collisions were the deadliest in 2022. They represented 32.5% of collisions with other vehicles and 46.2% of fatal crashes, resulting in 8,800 lives lost. Head-on collisions were the next deadliest. Although they only amounted to 4.4% of all crashes and 27.6% of fatal crashes, they caused 5,800 deaths. Rear-end collisions happened more than any other type (i.e., 40.8% of all crashes). These accidents caused only 17.8% of fatal crashes and 3,400 deaths. The last group, two or more vehicle and sideswipe scenarios, represented 22.2% of all collisions and caused 8.3% of fatal crashes and 1,600 deaths.
Methods for Avoiding Deadly Accidents
Accidents often happen because of inattentiveness, distracted driving, fatigue, speeding and abuse of alcohol or drugs. In many cases, an accident happens without a collision with another vehicle. A single vehicle rollover can occur because a driver chooses to take a curve too fast or ignores curve signage entirely. A sick driver might depart their lane or road and plow into another moving or parked vehicle, person or fixed object. Bad weather can also cause these types of accidents. Some drivers simply miscalculate the distance between their vehicle and another vehicle, which results in rear-end collisions.
To avoid accidents, a driver must do their best to keep their vehicle in the appropriate lane at more than one car length separation from other traffic while traveling in the correct direction at the marked speed or slower. They must always follow the rules and recommendations for driving and handling various scenarios. For example, if they feel tired, they should park at a rest stop or away from moving traffic. If they enjoy recreational substances or take medication that causes cognitive problems, they should ask someone else to drive. Drivers and pedestrians alike should use more caution when approaching intersections.
Different departments of transportation and other related agencies and non-profit organizations across the U.S. often add safety measures to roadways to help. For example, they install detailed painted pavement markers, center and sidelinerumble strips, and general and horizontal curve warning signs. They also regularly remove line-of-sight vegetation and increase median and shoulder widths.
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