According to the National Highway Traffic security management, every year there are about six million car crashes in the United States. A person dies in a vehicle accident every 12 minutes. Every year, car crashes result in the loss of 40,000 lives. The leading source of death for people between the ages of two and thirty-four years old is car crashes. Consequently, someone is hurt by a vehicle every 14 seconds and two million of those people every year have permanent injuries. Car accidents are the main cause of permanent disability in the US. In 2008, there were more than 5.8 million auto accidents, 1,630,000 personal injuries occurring from those accidents, and 34,017 people died as a result of those accidents.
The huge numbers of people getting injured in car accidents is actually at an all-time low level since 1961. On the other hand, with more and more vehicles and drivers on the road, and due to a severe trend of hit-and-runs, the amount of personal and property damage is actually increasing.
However, several people who are injured in car accidents go through minor degrees of pain and some suffer nothing at all, yet there are also many situations when someone goes through more severe injuries, such as:
• Neck Injuries: these injuries commonly occur when a car or vehicle is rear-ended. The head rapidly jerks forward and then quickly extends backwards. In some occasions, a person has to use a neck brace to help the neck recover more quickly and so that they won’t suffer further injury.
• Head and Brain Injuries: Trauma to the head can produce chronic head pain that can continue anywhere from a short period of time to constantly. Brain bleeding can produce swelling which often results in the destruction and loss of brain cells and the reduction of blood flow to and from the brain, which (in the worst case scenario) could lead to brain destruction.
• Broken Bones: This happens when a person’s legs and or arms are stuck with such a force that the bone is actually fractured. In most situations the appendage is placed in a plaster cast for few weeks or months so that the bones can recover and heal.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: The most severe injury (besides death) a person can have from a vehicle accident is loss to the integrity of the spinal cord which is often a source of permanent paralysis. Permanent paralysis occurs when tissues and nerves that are responsible for carrying the signals from the brain to other organs are damaged. Full paralysis occurs when the spinal cord is broken and a person loses all physical function.
Always remaining aware of other drivers in your vicinity can significantly reduce or minimize the injuries in car crash, particularly if you are the one driving the car. Always avoid speeding and swerving. You may think you have to get somewhere quick in order to avoid being late for an appointment, but in every case it’s better to be late than being in an auto accident. Speeding up and swerving is a big cause of vehicle accidents.
Make sure other drivers can see you while you are driving. Always keep your headlights and taillights on when needed and required by law. Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, anger or depression. Follow the instructions of the road, traffic symbols and stoplights. Make sure your car is in good operating condition to avoid problems on the road.
BUCKLE UP. Ever hear the term, “Click it or ticket”? This term was not created just to scare us because we can face traffic tickets and heavy fines. These laws are there to make sure that you and all the passengers in your vehicle are secure and to help you avoid injuries or death in an auto accident.