2000 US Fatalities and Injuries by Type of Crash

Although motor-vehicle deaths occur more often in collisions between motor vehicles than any other type of accident, this type represents only about 48% of the total. Collisions between a motor vehicle and a fixed object were the next most common type, with about 26% of the deaths, followed by pedestrian accidents and noncollisions (rollovers, etc.).

While collisions between motor vehicles accounted for less than half of motor-vehicle fatalities, this accident type represented 80% of injuries, 72% of injury accidents and 72% of all accidents. Single-vehicle accidents involving collisions with fixed objects, pedestrians and noncollisions, on the other hand, accounted for a greater proportion of fatalities and fatal accidents compared to less serious accidents. These three accident types made up 49% of fatalities and 53% of fatal accidents, but less than 25% of injuries, injury accidents or all accidents.

Of collisions between motor vehicles, angle collisions cause the greatest number of deaths, about 10,300 in 2000, and the greatest number of nonfatal injuries as well as fatal, injury and all accidents.

The table below indicates the estimated number of motor vehicle deaths, injuries, fatal accidents, injury accidents, and all accidents for various types of accidents.

Excerpted from National Safety Council Injury Facts, 2001 Edition

Source: National Safety Council Injury Facts, 2001 Edition, estimates based on reports from state traffic authorities

The 2000 crash death toll among America’s truck drivers was 5,211 for an average of 14 deaths a day. Some 140,000 truckers are injured annually in crashes. Large trucks represent only 4% of vehicles on the roads but are involved in 13% of traffic deaths. (The Kansas City Star, 12/16/01)