The National Safety Council (NSC) recently released its 2014 edition of Injury Facts, a report that offers a detailed look at injury and death rates from various causes nationwide. Founded in 1913, the NSC, like many experienced Texas injury attorneys, takes a keen interest in finding better ways to prevent injuries in U.S. homes, businesses, and public places.
Just a few of the “more surprising” statistics in the 2014 edition of Injury Facts, according to the NSC, are:
- Cell phone use is involved in 26 percent of all car accidents – an increase from previous years, despite new laws in many states that restrict or prohibit cell phone use behind the wheel.
- Up to 21 percent of car crashes involve talking on a cell phone, while about five percent involve texting behind the wheel.
- Although the number of teens who lost their lives in car crashes began decreasing in 2012, auto accidents remained the number-one cause of death for teenagers.
- The highest percentage of car accident deaths involving alcohol took place in the three-day period around New Year’s Day.
- February saw the fewest car accident deaths in the U.S. in 2012, while July saw the most deaths.
About 100 people lose their lives in car accidents every day, according to the NSC, and the most common cause is driver error. Although hands-free devices can reduce the risk of a crash, they are not as safe as avoiding cell phone use altogether.
In addition to covering information related to car accident deaths, the NSC’s publication also covered deaths from other types of accidents, including falls, injuries caused by defective products, and other causes of serious harm.