Just using averages, the chances of getting into a car crash are increased depending on these factors:
- Your driving frequency
- Your behavior behind the wheel
- The location of where you drive
- The type of vehicle you drive
- Your age
- When you drive
Generally, there are more than 5 million car accidents reported to the police each year in the United States. That is about one crash every six minutes. About 77% of motorists have reported being in at least one car accident in their life. Studies show that for every 1000 miles driven, your chances of getting into a crash are 1 in 366. Insurance companies report that customers file a claim once every 17.9 years, averaging three or four accidents throughout the customer's lifetime.
Your own driving behavior is a huge factor in the probability of getting into a car crash, and we'll go over that later in detail. However, not all accidents are avoidable because we can't control the actions of others. When a car accident is caused through no fault of your own, and you suffer losses because of someone else's negligence, you have legal options that Morgan and Morgan can help you explore.
Nighttime and weekend driving increases the risk of getting into a collision because of tiredness and the potential for other drivers to be alcohol-impaired. Likewise, drivers are more susceptible to risk-taking at night and on weekends. Visibility is cut down to just about 250 feet with normal headlights on and just 500 feet with high beams, leaving less time to react to dangers up ahead. Older adults are more at risk because of compromised vision. Drivers over 50 may need twice as much light to see, as well as individuals just 20 years younger. Additionally, older adults may have other vision troubles due to cataracts and other degenerative eye diseases.
Fatigued driving is far more common than you might think, with 37% of National Sleep Foundation poll responders admitting to falling asleep behind the wheel. More shockingly, 13% of these responders admitted to falling asleep at least once a month while operating their vehicles. Generally, crashes that involve fatigued drivers happen when you might expect, between the hours of 4 to 6 a.m., midnight to 2 a.m., and 2 to 4 p.m.
A study by the National Highway Traffic Administration found that Saturdays are the most dangerous day of the week to drive, followed by Friday and then Sunday. The cause is mostly alcohol use and speeding.
Similarly, your chances of getting into a crash are higher on rural roads than on urban roads because people generally travel at a higher rate of speed, the shoulders are narrow, the lighting is poor or nonexistent, and rural roads tend to be curvier. Additionally, rural drivers are more likely to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and tend to wear seatbelts less consistently than city drivers. Getting into an accident in the country also results in more deaths because it takes longer for emergency responders to get to the scene and transport severely injured individuals to emergency care.
The kind of vehicle you drive can also make you more prone to getting into a car crash. For example, SUVs and pickup trucks are more likely to roll over because of the height and center of gravity. However, suppose a large and small vehicle gets into a crash. In that case, the occupants of the larger vehicle are usually more protected. According to a 2021 study conducted by Insurify, the most crash-prone vehicles by class are as follows:
Compact cars - Subaru Impreza
Mid-size cars - Kia Stinger, Toyota Prius
Luxury cars - Lexus CT, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Subaru WRX, Infiniti Q60
Small SUVs - Hyundai Ioniq, Mazda CX-3
SUVs - Scion FR-6