By Pendergast Law on May 16, 2012
The number of deaths and serious injuries in car accidents in Washington has been decreasing during the past several years and continues to decline, according to studies by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
The number of lives lost in fatal WA car accidents decreased steadily from 2006 to 2010. In 2006, 633 lives were lost in Washington car crashes; by 2010, the number had dropped to 460. In terms of number of vehicle miles traveled by those on Washington’s roads each year, deaths have dropped from 1.12 per 100,000 vehicle miles traveled to 0.80 per 100,000 vehicle miles traveled.
Meanwhile, the rate of serious injuries has fluctuated over the same time period, but overall it has decreased since 2006. In 2006, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission recorded 2,957 accidents that resulted in serious injuries. In 2010, the Commission recorded only 2,474 serious-injury accidents. These numbers work out to a rate of about 5.21 serious injuries per 100,000 vehicle miles traveled in 2006 and 4.33 serious injuries per 100,000 vehicle miles traveled in 2010.
Both the overall number of fatal and injury-causing accidents and the number of accidents per total miles traveled have decreased in recent years. These numbers indicate that attempts by government agencies and by individual drivers to improve safety have helped protect those on the road.
One serious car accident can permanently change the course of a person’s or a family’s life. If you or someone in your family has been seriously injured or lost a life in a car accident, an experienced Seattle auto accident attorney at Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. can help. Call us today at 888-539-9211 for a free consultation.