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Common Types of Car Crashes

There were an estimated 7,277,000 police-reported traffic crashes in the United States in the most recent year on record, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). More than 37,461 people were killed and an estimated 3,144,000 people were injured. Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for children age 10 and young people 16 to 23 years old.

There are multiple causes of car crashes. More than a third (36 percent) of vehicles involved in crashes were turning or crossing at intersections just prior to a collision, the NHTSA reports. Also:

1

About 22 percent of vehicles ran off the road

2

About 11 percent of vehicles failed to stay in the proper lane

3

About 12 percent of the vehicles were stopped when they were hit by another vehicle

4

About 9 percent of vehicles had a driver who lost control prior to the crash.