After several years of increasing figures, the number of people who died in motor vehicle crashes on U.S. roads finally declined in 2018, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report. However, that decrease was offset by the news that more pedestrians, cyclists and senior drivers are dying in traffic accidents in Georgia and across the country.
The NHTSA report found that 36,560 people were killed in U.S. car crashes in 2018, which represents a 2% decrease from 2017. The rate of traffic fatalities is also decreasing. In 1975, an average of 3.4 Americans died for every 100 million miles driven. By 2018, that number had dropped to 1.1 deaths per every 100 million miles driven. However, the news is not all good. The agency also found that 6,283 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads in 2018, which is 3% more than died in 2017. In addition, 857 cyclists were killed, which is a spike of 6% over the previous year.
Meanwhile, the report also shows that more senior drivers are dying in car crashes. In fact, fatal accidents involving drivers age 65 and older have increased by 35% since 2009, which is the largest increase for any age group. Drivers between the ages of 25 and 44 and 45 and 64 also saw spikes of 15% and 17% respectively over the same period of time. However, drivers in the 15-24 age group saw a 9% decrease in fatal crashes.
Car accidents often cause serious injuries that require extensive medical care and rehabilitation. As a result, it might be necessary for injured victims to file personal injury lawsuits to receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. Victims could learn more about their legal options by contacting an auto accident attorney for advice.