Infographic: The human and economic toll of car crashes
Car crashes definitely take a human and economic toll on the U.S.
In 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 32,367 people were killed in crashes on American roads. That’s about the same number of people who can sit in the football stadium at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Unfortunately, the National Safety Council estimates traffic crashes killed 36,200 people in 2012, which would be a 5 percent increase from 2011. The federal government hasn’t yet released official traffic data for 2012.
Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, says in a news release: “Although we have improved safety features in vehicles today, we also have new challenges, especially as it relates to teen and distracted driving, that need to be addressed on a national scale. We must work together now to reverse this latest trend to prevent needless tragedy.”
As for the economic toll, it’s estimated that the annual cost to U.S. society of car crashes is in the $300 billion range. Consider this: That figure is roughly equivalent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Venezuela. GDP is a key indicator of a country’s economic health.
In this infographic, CarInsuranceQuotes.com looks at the impact of car crashes on the U.S.
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