Chapter 2: Auto Crash Statistics
1998 US Motor Vehicle Fatalities and Injuries by Type of Crash
 
1998 US Motor Vehicle Fatalities and Injuries by Type of Crash
Type of Accident Deaths NonfatalInjuries FatalAccidents InjuryAccidents AllAccidents
Collision with-
Pedestrian 5,900 84,000 5,800 50,000 145,000
Other motor vehicle 19,500 1,700,000 15,000 1,010,000 8,980,000
Angle collision 9,900 900,000 7,400 540,000 4,550,000
Head on collision 6,600 61,000 5,000 36,000 190,000
Rear end collision 2,300 695,000 2,000 413,000 3,700,000
Sideswipe and other
two-vehicle collision 700 44,000 600 21,000 540,000
Railroad train 400 2,000 200 1,000 5,000
Pedalcycle 700 49,000 700 40,000 110,000
Animal, animal-drawn vehicle 100 10,000 100 9,000 520,000
Fixed object 10,500 260,000 10,200 235,000 2,590,000
Noncollision 4,100 95,000 4,000 55,000 350,000
TOTAL 41,200 2,200,000 36,000 1,400,000 12,700,000
Source: National Safety Council Injury Facts, 1999 Edition, estimates based on reports from state traffic authorities

Although motor-vehicle deaths occur more often in collisions between motor vehicles than any other type of accident, this type represents only about 47% of the total. Collisions between a motor vehicle and a fixed object were the next most common type, with about 25% 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 77% of injuries, 72% of injury accidents and 71% 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 50% of fatalities and 56% 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 9,900 in 1998, and the greatest number of nonfatal injuries as well as fatal, injury and all accidents.

(Excerpted from National Safety Council Injury Facts, 1999 Edition)
A motorist is 40 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than with another motor vehicle. In 1998, 14 were killed and 37 were injured in 136 highway-rail crossing crashes across the state. Nationally 422 fatalities and 1,270 injuries were associated with 3,446 such crashes. An additional 514 pedestrians were killed along US railways, including 14 in Ohio.
(Ohio Department of Public Safety)