Every year the government keeps track of the amount of fatal car and truck crashes. As you can imagine, the number rises and falls year to year. But you might be surprised as to why the number fluctuates: gas prices. When gas is cheap, more people are on the roads which leads to more crashes, thus more automobile related deaths.
The number of traffic deaths in America each year is so staggering, it almost
defies comprehension — about 35,000 lives lost is the norm. But 2016 is shaping
up to be even worse. The fatality rate rose 9% in the first half of 2016, as per data outlined in StreetsBlog Network: "At this rate, 2016 is shaping up to be the deadliest year for driving since
2007. This Labor Day weekend is on track to be the nation’s deadliest since
2008, with 438 fatalities projected over the three-day period. The jump in traffic fatalities coincides with sinking
gas prices and an uptick in driving. During the first half of 2016, U.S.
motorists collectively drove 3.3 percent more compared to last year, reaching
1.58 trillion miles traveled. The recent upswing in miles driven has been
linked to the
availability of cheap gas and a
sharp increase in traffic deaths. Pedestrians and bicyclists already account for more than one
in four traffic deaths in New York and New Jersey, and fifteen percent in
Connecticut. In New Jersey alone, traffic
deaths surged 12 percent during the first half of 2016. The number
of bicyclists killed in New York City so far in 2016 has already exceeded the total
number of fatalities in 2015."
This is just a reminder for all of our readers: drive slow, drive defensively, don't text and drive. Don't be one of these statistics.
If you or a friend has been injured in a car or truck crash, please call the lawyers at Hoffman, Sternberg & Karpf, LLC. at (215) 953-8955.
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