The United States Department of Transportation released its yearly report on traffic fatalities in late 2017, and the figures were, to say the least, concerning. While not every category of accident fatality increased, some saw the largest single-year increases in over 25 years.
Regardless of the factors that contributed to each of these category increases, the overall picture that the report provides is one of increasing danger on the roads. Many of the most significant increases were in categories involving pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists.
No matter how carefully you may choose to drive or behave near traffic, you cannot account for the risky behavior of others or accident factors beyond any one person’s control. If you or someone you love recently experienced a serious injury in a car accident, don’t waste precious recovery time waiting to seek out professional legal guidance.
You may have grounds to file a comprehensive personal injury claim seeking full compensation for your medical expenses and other losses. Be sure to seek out all the help you need to protect all your rights and ensure that you do not miss out on important benefits that you deserve.
2016 driving fatalities by the numbers
According to the figures released by the USDOT, 2016 was a pretty dangerous year to be on or near our roads. Nearly all of the major categories that the report covers saw significant increases, although not all.
Drowsy driving and distracted driving contributed to fewer fatalities in 2016 than in 2015, down 3.5 percent and 2.2 percent respectively. While these figures are a meager silver lining around a report that generates many legitimate concerns, it is always important to recognize our societal victories and well as our weaknesses.
Unfortunately, car accidents ended thousands of lives and affected many thousands more in 2016, with pedestrian and bicycle accidents seeing their largest single-year increases in decades.
Pedestrian fatalities in car accidents rose significantly, seeing one of the largest category increases. These deaths increased by 9 percent over 2015, with 5,987 fatalities counted, accounting for the largest number of pedestrian deaths since 1990.
Bicyclist deaths also rose to 840 fatalities in 2016, the highest number in a single year since 1991. Similarly, motorcyclist deaths rose by 5.1 percent to 5,286, the highest number of deaths in the category since 2008.
Don’t compromise your recovery from an accident
Accidents can occur at any time, ending a life or leaving a victim seriously injured. If you or someone you love suffers injuries in a car accident, seek out all the help you need to recover and receive full compensation for your losses.
