The alarming data on traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities – and how chiropractic care can help.

As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I see patients every single day that have injuries, many of them serious, as a result of motor vehicle accidents.

However, I just read a statistic the other day that gave me pause: within the next five years, 25 percent of all drivers will be involved in at least one car crash. That led me to do some more research so I could share these important facts about traffic accidents and injuries with you:

Every year, there are about six million auto accidents in the U.S.

The damage caused by all of these accidents is staggering. About 72% of all accidents result in property damage.

In fact, the National Safety Council gauges the direct cost of motor vehicle fatalities, injuries, and property damage at around $432 billion last year.

If we add in indirect costs like lost wages and productivity, employer costs, and other medical expenses, the bill from traffic accidents climbs past $1 trillion annually.

However, far worse, 27% result in non-fatal injuries and 6% cause the loss of life.

In fact, last year, at least 37,500 people perished in motor vehicle crashes in the United States, or an average of one fatality every 30 minutes all year.

Car accidents are now the leading cause of death for people ages 2 to 34.

That’s also the highest level of roadway fatalities since 2007 when 41,259 traffic deaths occurred.

Are you ready to hear something else that will shock you? Those statistics just account for the number of crashes that are reported to the authorities.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that an additional 10 million roadway accidents are not reported every year!

It’s also an increase of about 6.9% from just the previous year and 14.9% from just two years ago, which is the largest two-year climb in the U.S in 50 years.

In total, more than 3 million people are injured in car accidents every year (due to the fact that there may be multiple passengers per car in each accident).

And nearly 2 million of the people injured in car accidents – or about 2/3 of all injured parties – experience permanent injuries.

Of all accidents that cause fatalities or permanent injuries, the most common causes are:

  • 40% Alcohol or drug consumption
  • 33% Reckless driving, including distracted driving from using phones and texting
  • 30% Speeding

We often think of U.S. roadways as being generally safe, while driving in other countries is probably far more dangerous, right?

Not necessarily, as the U.S. leads the world in traffic accident fatalities – not just the sheer number of crashes because we have a large population, but by motor vehicle crashes per 100,000 people.

Despite all our technology, awareness, and increased laws, our roadways are becoming less safe, not more. In fact, the U.S. has seen the lowest decrease in traffic fatalities among all western industrialized nations over the last few years.

While Spain reduced traffic fatalities by 75.1%, Denmark by 63.5%, Australia by 46.2%, and Canada by 42.9% over this same period, the U.S. only saw a 31% drop in car accident deaths.

Analysts point to several reasons for our increase in roadway accidents and fatalities, including a drop in gas prices that results in more miles driven and increased commute times.

But two factors seem to be the most prevalent:

1) An increase in distracted driving (largely due to texting and smartphone use); and

2) An increase in driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or prescription painkillers.

In fact, 83% of drivers surveyed report being concerned with their personal safety on the roads.

Buckling your seatbelt is still the best way to remain safe and reduce your chance of being injured in a crash, as it cuts the risk of serious injury by 50%.

Wearing a seatbelt also drops your chances of being killed when a car crashes by 45%, as passengers not belted in are 30x more likely to be ejected from the vehicle.

If you’re still not convinced that you should wear your seatbelt (even in the back seat), consider that 55% of all people killed in car crashes weren’t wearing their seatbelt at the time.

While I’m not on the roads all day like a police officer or a tow truck driver, I do see a steady stream of patients in my office that have suffered injuries in car accidents.

In fact, the top injuries I see from auto accidents involve these areas:

•           Back

•           Neck

•           Soft tissue

•           Spine

And the most common injuries from traffic accidents include:

•           Whiplash

•           Herniated discs, and

•           Muscle tears

•           Headache

But with whiplash and other injuries, you may not feel the effect for weeks or even months after your car crash.

I also know that a significant portion of injuries caused by auto accidents go unreported, are misdiagnosed, and are not treated correctly.

So, if you’ve been in an accident – even if it occurred months or years ago – make an appointment to see me!

Please buckle up, put down the phone, and be safe out there!

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