The news is filled with tales of increasing car accident rates. So, learn about Virginia Beach’s car accident statistics and what to do after a car crash.
Driving has become an essential human activity worldwide. People need to drive to several places for various reasons. Unfortunately, accident rates around the world are pretty high. These motor vehicle crashes result in multiple traffic fatalities and accident injuries annually. Pedestrian accidents are also a frequent occurrence on American and Virginia Beach roads.
However, determining how many motor vehicle accidents occur in Virginia Beach, VA, is important. Furthermore, what are the causes of these collisions? This article will provide answers to these questions with crash statistics.
Notably, though, suppose you survive a Virginia Beach traffic crash, then you can get financial compensation from the fault party through an insurance claim or an accident lawsuit. First, however, you’ll need an excellent auto accident attorney. If this happens, it’ll be best to contact the personal injury attorneys at Virginia Injury Law.
How Many Accidents Happen in Virginia Beach?
Firstly, the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated about 38,680 car crash fatalities occurred in 2020. These fatal crashes are just a percentage of the US’s overall car crash rate. Furthermore, these many people died even though Americans drove less in 2020 because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the 2020 figure was a 7.2% increase from 2019’s victims of fatal crashes.
Virginia also saw a significant number of motor vehicle crashes in 2020. Its figure stands at 105,600 crashes. Out of this number, there were 52,668 crash injuries. In addition, Virginia recorded 847 accident deaths for 2020. Notably, Virginia had more crashes in 2019 with 128,172 victims. Furthermore, the fatality rate was also lower with 827 people. Therefore, there were more Virginia accident injuries (65,708) for 2019 than deaths.
Traffic accidents in Virginia also involved trucks, motorcycles, buses, bicycles, mopeds, and school buses. Out of the 105,600 catastrophic accidents in Virginia in 2020, 419 occurred in Virginia Beach City. Furthermore, there were only 13 and 282 accident injuries. Pedestrian accidents also accounted for 1.2% of all Virginia car accidents. So, there were 1,242 accidents involving pedestrians. In addition, fatal pedestrian accidents were about 114, while injury crashes were 1,186.
Which Virginia Drivers Cause the Most Accidents?
Car accidents are the result of human activity. Someone’s negligence or carelessness most likely caused the collision. Only a few crashes are the fault of non-human factors such as bad weather conditions. In addition, drivers are primarily responsible for these Virginia Beach accidents. This is because they’re in control of the motor vehicle. So, the statistics will also show us which drivers are most dangerous.
For example, there were 6,624 drunk driving or alcohol-related Virginia accidents in 2020. Unfortunately, there were about 272 fatalities from this number. 3,986 people also survived the collisions with injuries. Furthermore, Virginia recorded 22,479 speed-related crashes for 2020. Out of this number, fatal crashes killed 406. There were also 11,528 deaths because of speed.
Most Virginia drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes were 21 to 30 years old. Interestingly, this age bracket also accounts for most speed-related fatalities. Distracted driving is another source of car accidents in Virginia. Firstly, there were 18,808 distracted driving collisions in Virginia. In addition, 111 fatalities and 6,590 injuries resulted from this action.
Finally, distracted driving is also responsible for 12,107 property damage crashes. Yet again, most distracted drivers were between 21 to 30 years. These drivers allowed their cell phones to distract them while driving. The implication was that they could not react to road situations as they arose.
From the above data, drunk driving, speeding, and distracted driving are major causes of Virginia car accidents. However, the data shows that overspeeding drivers cause the most accidents in Virginia. They’re, of course, followed by distracted drivers.
Why Are Accidents So Common in Virginia Beach?
The drivers that cause the most accidents give us insight into why there are so many accidents. So, we know that impaired drivers, distracted drivers, and over-speeding are responsible for several vehicle collisions in Virginia and around the US. However, there are other factors responsible for these crashes.
Disobeying Traffic Laws
Traffic rules are made to protect road users. These include drivers, vehicle occupants, and pedestrians. Therefore, disregarding these laws can result in significant car accidents. Notably, road users disobey traffic laws in many ways. These include:
- Improper lane changes
- Failure to yield
- Illegal or improper parking
- Improper backing or passing
- Wrong turns
- Not using vehicle signal lights
- Ignoring traffic lights
- Disobeying road speed limits
These actions can result in several kinds of car crashes on Virginia roads.
Bad Roads
Road conditions often contribute to car accidents in Virginia Beach too. Essentially, bad roads make road users more susceptible to collisions. In addition, bad weather conditions such as heavy rains can make it more difficult to navigate bad roads. Road conditions to look out for include potholes and uneven road surfaces.
Notably, too, some actions don’t cause accidents. However, they can impact accident survival rates. One such element is seat belt use. A seatbelt can protect you from severe injuries and death in a collision. That’s why it’s always best to wear your seatbelt while driving.
What Should I Do After a Virginia Beach Car Accident?
Suppose you escape a Virginia Beach car crash. Then, there are critical steps to follow. These steps will guarantee your safety. In addition, they’ll improve your chances of getting compensation. We explain these steps below.
Get Medical Attention
The first step after a crash is to get urgent medical treatment. This will ensure that your wounds are properly treated. Furthermore, medical care directly links your wounds to the crash. This professional link is necessary if you intend to file a personal injury claim.
Call the Police
If you can, it’ll be best to call the police and other emergency services after the crash. Do not leave the accident scene. If you do, it may look like a hit and run. In addition, you can also ensure that the other driver stays on-site.
Gather Evidence
Finally, you can gather evidence from the accident scene. This way, you can ensure you don’t lose critical evidence for your insurance claim or lawsuit. Relevant pieces of evidence will include the contact information of witnesses and video and photographic evidence of the crash site.
Let Our Virginia Beach Car Accident Lawyers Help You!
Are you a survivor of these deadly crashes in Virginia Beach, VA? Then, it’ll help to know that accident victims can get financial compensation from the party at fault. This money can cover the costly expenses that flow from your accident losses. These would include property damage bills and medical expenses.
However, accident victims need the best Virginia Beach auto accident attorney available. Fortunately, you can get the right attorney for your accident claim at Virginia Injury Law. Our lawyers have several years of experience in winning personal injury claims. So, we can get you the money you deserve. All you have to do is call us today for a FREE consultation on your accident claim.
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