As automotive technology advances, it might be expected that car crashes and the fatality rates caused by them would decline. However, a Bankrate report explains that is not necessarily the case.
“According to statistics dating back to 1994, the total number of fatal car crashes has not seen any drastic shifts. In 1994, there were 36,254 crashes, compared to 42,795 in 2022. 2011 holds the record for the lowest number of crashes with 29,867.”
Yet, there’s still hope for 2023. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in the first quarter of 2023, there were 9,330 deaths related to car wrecks, down 3.3% from a year prior. “The first quarter of 2023 represents the fourth straight quarterly decline in fatalities after seven consecutive quarters of year-to-year increases in fatalities, beginning with the third quarter of 2020,” the report emphasized.
Top five states with highest car crash fatalities, per Bankrate:
- Mississippi.
- South Carolina.
- Arkansas.
- New Mexico.
- Montana.
Utah car accident statistics
In 2021, Utah had 328 deaths related to car accidents, equating to 9.8 deaths for every 100,000 people, per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
A study by personal injury law firm, Injured In Florida, identified which type of intersections were most dangerous to drivers in Utah. Four-way intersections were found to be responsible for 71.2% of intersection-related fatal crashes in the state. “The analysis found that out of the total 330 fatal crashes examined, 235 were at four-way intersections, higher than any other category,” the report said.
“T-Intersections were identified as the second most common site for fatal crashes, with 83 incidents making up 25.2% of the total,” the report added. “Y-Intersections were the third most common among the studied intersection types, accounting for three fatal crashes or 0.9%.”
Using statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Injured In Florida discovered four-way intersections to be the nation’s most fatal intersection for motor vehicle crashes, making up 61.82% of crashes related to an intersection.
“Out of the 1,258 fatal crashes that occurred in Utah over the five year period, 330 happened at some type of intersection, which is 26.2%,” a spokesperson from Injured In Florida told the Deseret News in an email. “This data is a reminder to all road users of the importance of driving carefully at all times, but especially when approaching any type of crossroads or intersection.”