What are the odds of dying in a car crash?

[ad name=”ATO Right Banner”]Like most odds, calculating the odds of dying in a car crash isn’t an exact science without having much more knowledge about your traveling statistics. The factors contributing to the variance in these odds are: where you drive, how much driving you do yearly, what kind of vehicle you drive, your personal driving experience, and your age.

Without knowing all of the details, some general odds can still be roughly concluded. Your odds of dying in a car crash, over the span of your entire life, are somewhere in between 1 and 50 and 1 and 100. When broken down on a per year basis, your odds of dying in a vehicle crash would somewhere in between 1 and 4,000 and 1 and 8,000. Currently, roughly 40,000 people per year die in car accidents in the United States.

If you drive or ride in an SUV, your odds of dying in a car crash increase. Additionally, if you’re involved in an accident in your car, with an SUV, your odds of dying increase. If driving an SUV, the chances of killing an occupant in another vehicle increase somewhere in between 2 to 6 times. SUVs are more dangerous than other vehicles due to their tendency to roll over and because of their lack of handling.

In terms of age groups, the range of 16-24 has the highest fatality rates when it comes to motor vehicle accidents. This is why most car rental companies require renters to be at least 25 years of age. This is also why auto insurance rates are generally more expensive for younger drivers.

To decrease your odds of dying in a car crash: never drive when you are tired, never drive when you are intoxicated, never text message when driving, always buckle your seat belt when driving or riding, always obey all speed limits, always obey all road signs, and always keep up with your basic vehicle maintenance to avoid dangerous mechanical failures while on the road.

As new technology, laws, and vehicle trends emerge and evolve, the odds of dying in a car accident continue to change from year to year and generally should continue to decrease as more time passes.