The majority of fatal car accidents in the United States in 2008 involved only one vehicle. The majority of crashes were caused by excessive speed or drunk driving, although distraction — usually from cellphone usage — played a role as well.
More facts about car accidents:
- Although there are more than 6 million car accidents a year in the U.S., fatalities are going down. In 2008, fatalities were at a record low since 1961.
- It is estimated that one person is injured in a car accident every 14 seconds in the U.S.
- The states that routinely have the most automobile fatalities are Texas and California, both of which regularly report more than 3,000 fatalities a year. The states with the fewest fatalities are Rhode Island and Alaska, both of which have about 60 fatal crashes a year.