How Often Do You Get in a Car Accident in a Lifetime?
An average person will take more than 700 million breathes in their life. That same person will take more than 216 million steps in their life. But how many car accidents will an average person get into in their lifetime? That number is far lower than 216 million, thankfully.
All kidding aside, the team at Foley Law Firm has been curious about the number of auto accidents people get into during their lives. We have helped so many clients in the Scranton, PA who have been affected by injury car accidents and fatal motor vehicle collisions, and it makes us wonder how often collisions occur. Let’s crunch some numbers and consider national and state statistics on auto collisions below.
Can This Number Be Calculated?
Yes.
Just like the number of breathes and steps a person takes, it’s possible to get a relatively accurate estimate of auto accidents during an average life. Keep in mind that this is an average, so you may be involved in fewer collisions or more collisions. This number also accounts for all kinds of crashes, from fender benders to catastrophic collisions.
What Auto Accident Estimates Say
According to a 2011 article in Forbes, an average person will file an insurance claim for an auto crash every 17.9 years. That means if a person starts driving at age 16, they will like be in at least once auto accident by the time they reach age 34.
If you extrapolate this average, that means the average person will be in about three or four auto accidents in their lifetime.
Some Perspective: Statistics on Auto Accidents
Three to four auto accidents may seem like quite a few, but these auto collision statistics help provide some perspective on what drivers in the Scranton area can expect.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 7.27 million auto accidents in the United States in 2016. This accounts for all non-injury, injury, and fatal crashes across the county that year. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) found that there were 128,188 auto accidents in the state in 2017. That’s 351 traffic collisions reported to Pennsylvania authorities each day, or 15 accidents every hour.
Given those national and state numbers, three to four crashes in your life seems roughly accurate.
What to Do If You’re in an Auto Accident
If you are involved in an auto accident, check to ensure everyone in your vehicle is okay. Alert authorities to the crash so medical attention can be provided and/or a police report can be filed. Take photos or video of the collision if you are able to, and get contact information from the other motorists and any eye witnesses.
After receiving medical attention and recovering, contact your insurance provider to report the crash. You can also consider speaking to an auto accident lawyer to find out if an injury or wrongful death lawsuit is worth pursuing.
Speak with Our Auto Accident Attorneys
If you would like more information about your legal options following a motor vehicle collision, be sure to contact our team of injury accident lawyers. You can reach Foley Law Firm by phone at their Scranton office by calling (570) 342-8194.