Car accidents are certainly a part of life in most countries. And that’s definitely true in the United States. It’s well-known that numerous individuals suffer serious injuries in car accidents every year, and these crashes tend to take around 40,000 lives, on top of that.
If just looking at that statistic makes you think car accidents are far too common here, you’re not wrong. But that becomes even more obvious when you look at the rates for wrecks in other countries.
For instance, some sources point out that the American fatality rate in car accidents is roughly 50% higher than similar high-income countries. The United States has the highest crash rate out of any modern countries in a similar class, such as Japan, Australia, Canada and the Western portions of Europe.
In other words, the problem isn’t just motor vehicle travel. There is something about the United States that makes road travel distinctly more dangerous here than it is elsewhere.
What can you do about these risks?
Looking at stats like this helps you to see the type of risk that you’re facing. Driving may be something that you do every day, but don’t take for granted that you’re going to do it safely. Accidents and injuries happen all the time.
Unfortunately, there may not be that much you can do. Things like defensive driving can certainly help. You can work hard to be the safest possible driver that you can be. But there’s always a chance that another driver is going to hit you and cause an accident. If that happens, you may need to know how to seek financial compensation for your medical bills and other costs.