Driving and riding in car is hands-down the most dangerous thing you and your children do on a routine basis. Here are some facts and statistics on car accidents in the United States:

1 A car accident occurs around every six seconds in the United States

2. In 2019 608 children ages 12 and under died in car accidents. (CDC)

3. A total of 2,375 teenagers ages 13-19 died in motor vehicle crashes in 2019. (U.S. Department of Transportation)

The odds of dying in a car accident

Overall, the odds that you or a child will die in a car accident sometime over your lifetime is approximately 1 in 3,300 for those who make a habit of riding without a seatbelt, and 1 in 6,700 for those who routinely buckle up. For comparison, the odds of dying in a commercial airline accident are 1 in 9 million. (Miller, 2004)

The number of people killed by car accidents.

1. In 2016, 37,461 people ere killed in car accidents, an average of 102 per day.

2. More Americans have been killed in car accidents than all the wars in the country’s history combined. (Miller, 2004)

3. Worldwide, auto accidents kill around 1 million people each year (approximately 2,700 per day) and injure another 15 million. (ibid, p. 245