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[/profileleft]We posted recently about the troubling statistics regarding car accident fatalities in 2015 across the United States. The number of people killed in car accidents rose by the largest percentage in 50 years when compared to the previous year. Unfortunately, it looks as though that upward trend is continuing so far in 2016. An article that was published recently laid out the statistics regarding car accident fatalities for the first half of 2016, and they show that more people were killed during that timeframe than during the same period in 2015. Not only were more people killed on a national scale during the first half of 2016, but the numbers were higher for California fatalities as well. Below is a brief overview of this news story. Anyone who has lost a loved one in this manner needs to contact a San Diego wrongful death lawyer.
About the Article
The article was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Those interested in reading it in its entirety can find a link to it here. Overall, the number of car accident fatalities during the first six months of 2016 was nine percent higher than the first six months of 2015 nationally. That 2016 number is 18 percent higher than the first six months of 2014. More than 19,000 people were killed in car accidents in the United States between January 1 and June 30, 2016.
Car accident fatalities are also rising in California. According to the article, the following number of deaths occurred in the state during the first six months of the most recent three years:
- 2014 – 1,302
- 2015 – 1,566
- 2016 – 1,702
Car accident fatalities have risen by nearly 9 percent in California during the first six months of 2016 as compared to last year. When comparing 2016 to 2014, the number is higher by a factor of more than 30 percent. Only eight states showed a higher percentage increase between 2014 and 2016. These states include:
- Florida – 43 percent
- Georgia – 34 percent
- Idaho – 46 percent
- Indiana – 33 percent
- Iowa – 37 percent
- New Hampshire – 61 percent
- Oregon – 70 percent
- Vermont – 82 percent
About the NSC Car Accident Fatalities Report
The National Safety Council’s report on car accident fatalities is the source of the data. Anyone who wants to read the entire report can find it here. According to the NSC report, the number of car accident fatalities in the United States has risen as the weather has gotten warmer. Below are the deaths for each month on the calendar during the first half of 2016:
- January – 2,760
- February – 2,890
- March – 3,090
- April – 3,200
- May – 3,500
- June – 3,660
The report’s authors stated that the drop in gas prices this year could be a reason for the rise in car accident fatalities. The authors also estimated that the overall cost of these crashes is more than $200 billion.
How a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
Whatever the reason or reasons, the roads in California and across the United States appear to be getting more dangerous as time passes. Please do what you can to make sure that you drive safely and defensively. If you have lost someone you love in an accident, you need to seek the help of a San Diego wrongful death lawyer who can handle the legal fallout of such a tragedy so that you can focus on other things. Contact Gomez Trial Attorneys today for a free case evaluation.
