Auto Crashes Cost Billions Each Year

8/30/2010

A recent government report should serve as a reminder to auto insurance customers about why safe driving helps them save money on premiums.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes cost the nation more than $99 billion each year in the form of medical care and other factors. This is said to amount to about $500 for each licensed driver in the country.

"Every 10 seconds, someone in the United States is treated in an emergency department for crash-related injuries, and nearly 40,000 people die from these injuries each year. This study highlights the magnitude of the problem of crash-related injuries from a cost perspective, and the numbers are staggering," said Dr. Grant Baldwin of the CDC.

A further breakdown of the numbers finds that about $12 billion is spent each year treating victims of fatal and non-fatal motorcycle crashes, while $10 billion is spent on injured pedestrians and $5 billion for bicyclists hurt or killed on the road. These figures include lost productivity.

However, the vast majority of the money - $70 billion - is spent on direct medical care to treat these patients. This accounts for 71 percent of the total nationwide cost.