Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans between the age of 8 to 34, and the third cause of death for all Americans. Every year loved ones are lost, families are destroyed, and lives are ruined.

·         According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there were over 5,811,000 motor vehicle collisions in America in 2008.

·         In 1,630,000 motor vehicle collisions over 2,346,000 people were injured.

·         In 34,017 collisions 37,261 people were killed.

·         Motorcycle fatalities continued their 11-year increase, reaching 5,290 fatalities.

·         Another 5,665 bicyclists or pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents.

·         Seventy one percent of those who died in highway accidents were occupants.

·         Over fifty percent of all occupants killed during the day, and two thirds of all occupants killed during the night were not wearing seat belts.

·         Sixty nine percent of all fatal motor vehicle collisions involved drivers with a blood alcohol content over the legal limit.

Nevada is not immune from the devastating consequences of motor vehicle accidents.

·         In Nevada during 2006 there were 62,225 motor vehicle collisions that resulted in 31,106 injuries and 432 deaths.

·         Over forty-nine per cent of all motor vehicle collisions in Nevada occurred in Las Vegas.

·         Alcohol related collisions resulted in 123 fatalities. Eighty percent of these fatalities occurred in Clark County.

·         Seventy five percent of all collisions occurred at intersections

·         The standard passenger car was involved in more collisions than any other type of vehicle; followed by pickup trucks and then SUV’s

·         Nevada motor vehicle collisions results in 1326 pedestrian injuries and 69 fatalities. Thirty-two percent of the pedestrians were not crossing at an intersection or a crosswalk; twenty percent of the pedestrians had used alcohol.

·         There were 605 bicycle collision injuries and 10 fatalities. In fifty percent of the collisions the bicyclists were crossing the street improperly.

·         Most collisions occurred during daylight hours, in clear whether, and where the speed limit is posted as 35 mph.

 

 

An analysis of these statistics yields some important safety tips that Shook and Stone urge you to follow.

 

Ø      Do not drink and drive

Ø      Wear your seat belt

Ø      Use extra caution at intersections

Ø      When you walk across a street, cross only at intersections or crosswalks

Ø      Do not let local drives, in clear weather, during the daytime, lure you into a false sense of security; most crashes occur during the day, in clear weather, under 35 miles an hour