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Car-crash fatalities rise year over year

On Behalf of | Feb 14, 2023 | Automobile Accidents |

Deaths from car accidents in North Carolina rose 7.5 percent in 2021, with around a 9% and 12% increase in injuries and total crashes, respectively. What does this mean for safety out on the road?

The data might not be as alarming as it seems. More people are out on the road, which leads to more injuries. However, there is still more to the story.

A picture of the year in traffic accidents

The DMV releases an annual report on traffic safety that shows data on crashes, injuries, drunk drivers and other important events. This report also gives some statistics based on those events, such as the percentage of fatalities in which alcohol was a factor.

From these numbers, specifically from the average rates of fatalities and injuries, it is apparent that 2021 was more or less an average year. That average level of danger is, however, cold comfort for people who received injuries or families that lost loved ones.

Dangers on the road

Many accidents come from people departing from their lanes, and some accidents are simply unavoidable. However, others come from the wanton disregard for safety that seems to characterize highways across the nation.

People drive drunk, speed and use their mobile devices despite widespread education and law-enforcement efforts. This negligence, by the numbers, contributes significantly to injuries and fatalities.

Although there are laws in place to sanction and punish this behavior, they typically do little to console or make whole people who have injuries due to the reckless actions of others. Instead, people tend to turn to the civil legal system to obtain the compensation necessary to heal from these catastrophes.