Car crashes cost Americans $340 billion, or $1,035 per person

Motor vehicle crashes cost American society $340 billion in 2019, according to a comprehensive study released by NHTSA on Tuesday. The study calculated the total societal cost of a car crash borne by all Americans, not just those directly involved in the crash. The total is due to increased health and auto insurance premiums for all Americans, property damage, market productivity losses, and higher taxes to fund public services such as first responders. Equivalent to $1,035 in additional costs borne by all Americans.

The comprehensive report separately calculated the loss of life for society based on 36,500 traffic fatalities and serious injury cases in 2019. The amount was further estimated at $1.37 trillion.

both traffic accidents and Increase in deaths in 2020 And 2021 will not only be based on reduced mileage due to the pandemic, but also in aggregate. The number of deaths from motor vehicle accidents in 2021 is 42,915, a 10.5% increase from 38,824 in 2020. Highest death toll since 20052022 data not yet finalized.

NHTSA completed a similar study in 2010 and concluded that the total cost of automobile accidents to American society is $242 billion. This is a 40% increase borne by society as a whole. In addition to the drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists who died in 2019, NHTSA reports that 4.5 million people were injured in vehicle crashes and 23 million vehicles were damaged.

“This report is a striking reminder of just how devastating traffic accidents can be for families and the economic burden they place on society,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said in a statement.

The number one cause of vehicle crashes was distracted driving. This accounted for his 29% of all crash costs and caused 1.3 million non-fatal injuries and her 10,546 fatalities. This may be underreported, as it is difficult to prove that distracted driving is the cause of crashes. Alcohol-related crashes are second, accounting for 20% of total crash costs. By comparison, there were only 497,000 alcohol-related injuries, but 14,219 deaths, far more fatalities from driving disorders. Economic costs totaled $68.9 billion. Speeding accounts for 14% of all economic costs and a similar number of deaths from distracted driving.

A study found that Americans who were not directly involved in a car crash accounted for approximately 75% of all crash costs. This is due to higher insurance premiums, taxes, lost productivity due to collision congestion, excess fuel and increased environmental impact from collision-related traffic. jam. NHTSA estimates that clashes cost each household $230 worth of additional taxes annually.