Hawk Law Group | December 7, 2021 | Car Accidents
Overall, the odds that your death will result from a car crash is one in 107 or 0.93%. To put this number into perspective, think of your closest 107 friends and family members. Odds are that at least one of them will die in a car accident in Evans, GA.
But these odds can increase or decrease, depending on your age, occupation, location, and driving habits. The odds can also have different interpretations.
Here are some ways to understand your odds of dying in a car crash.
National Safety Council Data
The statistic most commonly cited for your odds of dying in a car crash comes from the National Safety Council (NSC). This non-profit organization has published its “Injury Facts” report for over 100 years. It promotes safety in the home, at the workplace, and on roads.
The NSC’s estimated odds of dying in a car crash come from nationwide data. To understand what this number means, you must bear in mind that everyone dies. So this number means that you have a one in 107 chance of dying in a car crash as opposed to some other cause.
This number gives the big picture. But you can get odds more specific to you by accounting for location, age, and driving habits.
Crash Rates for Georgia
Each state has slightly different crash rates. These crash rates depend on many factors, including weather, driver behavior, driver demographics, road design, and congestion.
You might think the variation in crash rates is relatively small. But in comparing the states with the highest and lowest crash rates, Mississippi residents get into fatal crashes four times more frequently than Massachusetts residents.
Georgia falls almost exactly in the middle. In 2019, Georgia had 14.5 motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents. This means that one out of every 6,897 Georgia residents died in a car crash in 2019.
You can find even more specific data. Columbia County, Georgia, had 156,714 residents and 11 traffic fatalities in 2019. This means that only one out of every 14,247 Columbia County residents died in a traffic crash that year.
Crash Rates Based on Age
Americans live longer than ever before. As a result, the number of licensed drivers over the age of 65 has increased by 60% since 2000.
Unfortunately, more seniors on the road mean more seniors dying in traffic accidents. The death rate for drivers over 65 years of age now exceeds the rate for any other age group. Until 2016, young drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 died at the highest rate among drivers.
In 2019, one out of every 4,587 male drivers over the age of 65 died in a car crash. By contrast, only one out of every 5,263 male drivers between 15 and 24 died in a car crash.
Similarly, one out of every 10,753 female drivers over 65 died in a car crash. One out of every 12,195 female drivers 15-24 died in a car crash.
Driver Behavior
If you are prone to getting into car crashes, you can estimate your odds of dying in one of those car crashes. In 2019, Georgia had 404,043 car crashes resulting in 1,491 fatalities. This means that Georgia averaged one fatality out of every 271 crashes.
One of the most significant factors in determining whether an accident victim lived or died was seatbelt use. Seat belts reduce the odds of dying in a car accident by 45%. In other words, driving without a seatbelt nearly doubles your chances of dying in a car crash.
Influencing the Odds of Dying in a Car Crash
The odds of dying in a car crash depend on many factors. Steps you can take to improve your odds of surviving a car crash include wearing a seatbelt and giving up your keys when your driving skills diminish.
Contact the Car Accident Lawyers In the Central Savannah River Area at Hawk Law Group for Legal Assistance Today
For more information, please contact the car accident lawyers at Hawk Law Group at our nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve throughout the Central Savannah River Area and its surrounding areas:
Hawk Law Group – Augusta, GA
338 Telfair St, Augusta, GA 30901, United States
(706) 722-3500
Hawk Law Group – Evans, GA
4384 River Watch Pkwy, Evans, GA 30809, United States
(706) 863-6500
Hawk Law Group – Thomson, GA
146 Railroad St A, Thomson, GA 30824, United States
(706) 361-0350
Hawk Law Group – Waynesboro, GA
827 Liberty St, Waynesboro, GA 30830, United States
(706) 437-9122
Hawk Law Group – Aiken County, SC
156 Laurens St NW, Aiken, SC 29801, United States
(803) 226-9089
We also serve in Edgefield County, SC.