2002 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 41% of the total. Collisions between a motor vehicle and a fixed object were the next most common type, with about 31% 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 66% of injuries, 64% of injury accidents and 68% 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 56% of fatalities and 58% of fatal accidents, but 32% or less of injuries, injury accidents or all accidents.

Of collisions between motor vehicles, angle collisions cause the greatest number of deaths, about 8,700 in 2002, and the greatest number of nonfatal injuries as well as fatal and injury 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, 2003 Edition

Source: National Safety Council Injury Facts, 2003 Edition, estimates based on reports from state traffic authorities

Missouri and 12 other states—Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming—have not passed mandatory seat belt and open-container laws. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2/24/04)