According to the National Safety Council, 40,100 people in California and the rest of the nation died in motor vehicle accidents in 2017. The number of deaths is not far from the 40,327 deaths that were reported for 2016.
The initial 2017 estimate provided by the organization is 6 percent more than the number of fatalities that were reported for 2015. If the estimate is verified, it will be the second straight year in which the number of motor vehicles death exceeded 40,000.
In 2017, almost 4.57 million people in the United States sustained serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents, similar to the number of people in 2016. The number of miles that were driven for 2017 rose by less than 1 percent. According to the organization’s estimates, motor vehicle crashes and the resultant injuries cost society $413.8 billion in 2017.
The organization also estimates that the yearly annual population fatality rate is 12.28 fatalities for every 100,000 people, which is a reduction of 2 percent from the rate with was calculated for 2016. The annual mileage death rate for 2017 was estimated to be 1.25 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles that were traveled, also a decrease of 2 percent from the rate that was reported for 2016.
The president of the NSC attributes the annual loss of 40,000 lives to the consequences of having mobility. She states that every effort should be made to make the roadways safer so that there are no deaths due to motor vehicle crashes.
A personal injury attorney may be able to pursue financial compensation on behalf of clients who have sustained injuries in car accidents. Lawsuits may be filed against drivers who engaged in negligent driving behavior, such as driving while drunk or distracted. If a lawsuit is successful, negligent drivers might be held liable for injuries caused by hit-and-runs.