Even though the number of motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. has been declining over the past couple of decades, car accidents remain one of the leading causes of death, with 33,000 people killed, and 3.9 million injured in car and car crashes in 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On top of the price paid in loss of lives and the decreased quality of life due to injuries, road accidents take an enormous toll on the country’s economy, as well, costing American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars every year.
In a report that was recently released by the NHTSA, in 2010, total costs associated with motor vehicle accidents reached an incredible $871 billion. The NHTSA conducted a study, analyzing all car an truck crashes in 2010, and divided the overall costs associated with them into two categories: societal and economic.
According to the study, societal harm was much bigger than the economic costs. Societal harm include costs from the loss of life and injuries in car accidents, and they accounted for $594 billion, while economic costs were estimated at $277 billion. Economic costs are not limited to vehicle or property damage, and include insurance premiums, as well as lost wages. This equals to $900 a year for each U.S. citizen.
“No amount of money can replace the life of a loved one, or stem the suffering associated with motor vehicle crashes,” said U.S. Secretary Anthony Foxx. “While the economic and societal costs of crashes are staggering, today’s report clearly demonstrates that investments in safety are worth every penny used to reduce the frequency and severity of these tragic events.”
The study also listed the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents, and what types of accidents caused the biggest damage. The NHTSA found that accidents involving speeding made up 21% of the total economic loss, or $59 billion, and 24% of the societal loss, equaling to $210 billion.
Speeding was followed by drunk driving, which accounted for 18% of the total economic costs ($49 billion), and 23% of the societal costs ($199 billion). Distraction related accidents caused $46 billion in damages, or 17% of the total economic costs, and $129 billion – or 15% – of the overall societal costs.
The main takeaway from this study, based on the types of accidents causing the biggest damage, is that human error is the reason number one behind the economic and societal loss the U.S. economy suffers due to motor vehicle crashes. The study shows that the most expensive accidents are caused by either a distracted driver or an impaired driver, which means that authorities have to enhance enforcement of DUI and distracted driving laws, and possibly make them even tougher, in order to improve traffic safety and reduce costs associated with car crashes drastically. “This new report underscores the importance of our safety mission and why our efforts and those of our partners to tackle these important behavioral issues and make vehicles safer are essential to our quality of life and our economy,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman.