Auto Accident Fatalities Lowest Since 1949

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 4, 2011

Even though Americans are driving more than ever, recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates indicate that fewer people died in auto accidents in 2010 than any year since 1949. A total of 32,788 people died in car crashes last year. This number is down three percent from 2009, and it’s the lowest number in decades. Barbara Harsha, Executive Director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, cited several contributing factors that led to the near-record low. She said advances in vehicle design, safety and passenger restraint and air bags as well as other factors such as rumble strips on highways and better pavement marking all combined to make driving safer.

The NHTSA said the death rate per 100 million miles traveled dropped to 1.09 in 2010, which is down 25 percent from 2005. They report that Americans drove three trillion miles in 2010, which is 21 billion more miles than 2009. While lower auto accident fatalities overall is certainly welcome news, auto accident fatalities rose in the Midwest and Northeastern United States. Fatalities rose an astonishing 18 percent in New England and 3.9 percent in the upper Midwestern states of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota.

Here in Florida and other states in the Southeast, auto accident fatalities dropped three percent in 2010. That’s great news for Floridians, who travel on some of the busiest highways in the country. However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement as Florida is third in the country behind California and Texas for total numbers of people killed in crashes. In 2009, 2,558 people lost their lives in auto accidents in our state, and tens of thousands more suffered injuries.

When people in Central Florida are injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver, they need an experienced, knowledgeable Orlando personal injury lawyer by their side. They need a lawyer with the resources and skills to handle lengthy personal injury cases and help clients receive the fair and just compensation they deserve. That’s why many Floridians rely on James O. Cunningham when they need an Orlando personal injury attorney. He has been helping injured people since 1977, and he has a proven record of success against negligent drivers and large insurance companies. If you’ve been injured in an accident and you have questions about your case, call him today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free and confidential consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.