According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year there are more than six million car accidents in the United States. A person dies in an auto accident every 12 minutes and each year, car crashes claim over 40,000 lives. The leading cause of death for people between the ages of two and thirty-four years old is vehicular crashes. Someone is injured by a car accident every 14 second and about two million of the people injured in auto accidents suffer permanent injuries each year. Car accidents are the leading cause of acquired disability nationwide. In 2008, there were over 5.8 million car accidents, 1,630,000 personal injuries stemming from car accidents, and 34,017 people died as a result.

The sheer numbers of people getting hurt in auto accidents is actually at an all-time low since 1961, but with more and more drivers on the road and a serious rash of hit-and-runs, the totals in personal injuries and property damage is on the rise.

Many people who are injured in auto accidents suffer only minor pain and some none at all. Yet there are many occasions when someone suffers a more serious personal injury, such as:

• Neck Injuries: these injuries generally occur when an automobile is rear-ended. The head suddenly jerks forward and then, backwards. Many times, a person has to wear a neck brace to help the neck heal more easily and so that one cannot easily strain it again.
• Head and Brain Injuries: Trauma to the head can cause chronic headaches that can last for a short period of time or permanently. Brain bleeding may cause the swelling of brain tissue which often leads to the destruction and damage of brain cells and decreases the flow of blood to, from and within the brain, which could ultimately lead to brain damage.
• Broken Bones: This occurs when a person’s arms and / or legs are hit so hard that the bone is actually broken. In most cases, the appendage is placed in a plaster cast for several weeks / months so the bones can heal. Yet sometimes the bones are crushed and then have to be amputated.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: The most serious injury (besides death) a person can suffer from an auto accident is damage to the spinal cord which can cause permanent paralysis. Permanent paralysis happens when nerves that are responsible for transporting brain signals to our organs are damaged. Full paralysis happens when the spinal cord is cut and a person loses all bodily function.

Paying attention to other drivers can greatly reduce or lessen injuries in car accidents, especially if you are the person driving the car. Always avoid speeding and swerving. You may think you need to get somewhere fast or that you’ll be late for an appointment, but it’s always safer to be late than to be sorry. Speeding and swerving is a major reason for getting into auto accidents.

Make sure other drivers can see you at all times. Keep your headlights and taillights on at all times.

NEVER DRIVE WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE. People get hurt.

Obey the rules of the road, traffic signs and stoplights.

Make sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape to avoid issues on the road.

BUCKLE UP. Ever hear the term, “Click it or ticket”? It’s not there to scare us to be pulled over by the police and face hefty fines. This is in place to make sure that all passengers in your vehicle are safe and to help avoid injuries or death in an auto accident.