Economic Impact of Crashes

In Local Events by Barbara HoffmanLeave a Comment

By  Frank Hinds, Executive Director

Each year in the United States, there are nearly 700 deaths due to red-light running crashes and 100,000 injuries.  These injuries and deaths are tragic and take a heavy toll on families, but what isn’t talked about is the tremendous economic impact these crashes have on society. 

The estimated economic cost associated with these crashes each year is $300 Billion!  This includes, but is not limited to medical, legal, insurance, lost wages/ productivity, vehicle repairs and public safety/emergency response.  No dollar value can be placed on the  pain and suffering.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens.  The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) reports that traffic crashes killed nearly five times as many teens as cancer or poisoning in 2009.  The report also shows that skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries account for a large number of the injuries sustained by teens.  Thirty percent of the teenagers injured in 2009-2010 crashes suffered head injuries.  The lifetime cost of medical care for a teen suffering a serious, incapacitating brain injury is staggering. 

Human life cannot  be taken for granted and the devastation on our roadways must be stopped!

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