If you drive, you know that comes with some risks. You can cause a car accident if you engage in unsafe driving behaviors. Even if you drive safely, though, another driver can hit your vehicle.
Most people accept the risks that come with driving. They know that without a car and a driver’s license, their life has some limitations. They must ask friends or family members for rides, or they might take public transportation.
If you drive and get in a car accident, you might feel like the slower you are driving, the less danger you’re in. That’s true, according to car accident stats. Higher-speed car wrecks usually cause more damage and also more injuries and deaths.
In this article, we’ll discuss the 30-mile-per-hour car wreck. That’s not going very fast, but some of the revelations about these accidents might surprise you.
How Many People Die in 30-Mile-Per-Hour Car Wrecks?
40% of those hit by cars going 30 mph will die. That number might shock you. Keep in mind, though, that this number doesn’t mean drivers or passengers in another car if you hit it while going 30 miles per hour. Rather, this means 40% of pedestrians die if you hit them with a car going that fast.
30 miles per hour might not seem that fast. Think about it: you might drive that fast while going through a residential neighborhood.
This stat might get your attention, though. While 30 miles per hour might seem like you’re going relatively slowly, someone who you hit when you’re going this speed will die two times out of every five.
Some Additional Stats
You can also think about some additional statistics when considering this hypothetical car wreck. If you’re driving 20 miles per hour, only 5% of those who you hit will die. That’s an enormous difference.
If you drive 40 miles per hour, on the other hand, and you hit someone, 80% of the pedestrians you strike at that speed will die. That extra 10 miles per hour makes a big difference as well.
Finally, if you drive over 50 miles per hour and you hit someone, that will prove fatal almost every time. A pedestrian might survive if you only clip them, but at that speed, even slight contact can do serious damage. Striking someone in the hip at that speed might occur if they’re jumping out of the way. At that speed, you can shatter their pelvis.
What Does All This Mean?
Essentially, this means that if you drive faster and you hit a pedestrian, you will likely injure or kill them. The number of those who die if you hit them goes up with every mile per hour you increase the car’s velocity.
This probably shouldn’t surprise you, but the numbers still get your attention and make you consider your actions. If you’re driving through a residential neighborhood, and you have kids playing, dogs running in the street, cyclists going by, and things of that nature, if you slow down, you make their lives a little safer.
You make a fatal accident a lot less likely. No driver wants to hurt someone, and not pressing down on the gas pedal quite as hard makes all the difference.
How to Avoid the 30-Mile-Per-Hour Car Wreck
Let’s continue talking about this hypothetical 30-mile-per-hour car wreck. We know the danger for pedestrians. They can also cause significant damage to personal property if they occur.
What can you do to avoid these types of accidents? Obviously, you can drive slower. If you reduce your speed, you can probably stop in time where you couldn’t before. If someone steps out in front of your car and you’re driving 20 miles per hour rather than 30, it can save that pedestrian’s life.
You can also avoid letting anything distract you. No matter how fast you’re driving, if you take your eyes off the road, it means you have less reaction time if traffic conditions change or a cyclist or pedestrian appears.
Smartphones distract drivers a lot in 2023. Nearly everyone has one, and you should turn yours off when you get in the car.
If you leave yours on while you’re driving, you should at least avoid looking at the device if the phone rings or if someone sends you a text message. You can look at the text or call the person back when you reach your destination and turn off the car.
What Else Can You Do to Avoid These Accidents?
You can also avoid letting food or drinks distract you. If you get fast food from a drive-through, wait till you get home before starting your meal.
If you have kids in the car, don’t let their antics distract you. They might throw a temper tantrum, but if you turn around to attend to them, that momentary distraction might prove fatal.
You should not adjust your makeup in the mirror or fix your hair. If you adjust the radio or the car’s temperature, that distraction might cause an accident as well.
Billboards can distract you, and so can attractive people walking by the car. You might look at what’s outside the vehicle with your peripheral vision, but other than that, you should focus on the road to watch for traffic changes or sudden obstacles.
If you can keep your speed down and avoid the driving behaviors that we’ve mentioned, you can avoid the 30-mile-per-hour car wreck and any others as well. If you drive a little slower, you might take longer to get where you’re going, but you’ll arrive safely, and that’s what truly matters.
If you strike someone with your car, you might relive that moment over and over again for as long as you live. You can change your life and the person’s life who you hit, and that’s a totally preventable tragedy. The stats we mentioned in this article should serve as proof that speed kills and cautious driving saves lives.
