Philadelphia Drivers Ranked Among Nation's Worst, Most Accident Prone
Philadelphia personal injury lawyers with an expertise in litigating car accident lawsuits were not surprised to see Philadelphia rank near the bottom of the latest Allstate Insurance Best Drivers Report. Philadelphia came in at 187 in Allstate's annual ranking of car collision frequency in America's 200 largest cities. Fort Collins, Colorado was judged the safest city for drivers; Washington D.C., the deadliest. According to Allstate statistics, Philadelphia drivers are 53.5% more likely to be involved in a serious personal injury car accident than drivers in other cities. At 187, Philadelphia was ranked more accident prone than New York City (159), Houston (161), Chicago (167) and Los Angeles (183). On average, a Philadelphia driver is involved in a serious personal injury car accident every 6.5 years.
According to a new study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths and personal injuries caused by car accidents cost the nation nearly $99 billion in medical costs and lost productivity annually, or about $500 per licensed driver. Costs are based on statistics for 2005 when 3.7 million people died or suffered serious personal injuries in U.S. car accidents. Report statistics found that motor vehicle occupants accounted for 71% of traffic accident deaths and injuries; motorcyclists, 12%; pedestrians, 10%; and bicyclists, 6%.
Over the Labor Day weekend, 473 people died in serious personal injury vehicle accidents nationwide. In Pennsylvania, state police records for the weekend show that 9 people died in car accidents and 285 were injured, a significant decrease from last year when 16 people were killed on Pennsylvania highways and 412 were injured. Of course, those figures only reflect injuries and deaths on state highways. Statewide Labor Day car accident statistics are expected to be higher once data is collected from municipal and county agencies.
If you suffer serious personal injuries or a family member dies in a Philadelphia car accident, contact a Philadelphia personal injury attorney with an expertise in car accident litigation.
