Why the U.S. Is a World Leader in Car Crash Deaths

Public health experts often cite reduced car crash deaths as one of the most successful examples of how common-sense laws can dramatically reduce injuries and deaths. Through strategies like enforcing seat belt usage and drunken driving laws, the U.S. from 2000 to 2013 reduced its rate of crash deaths by 31 percent. Some who herald such an achievement even use it as an example of how similar approaches could be applied to curb gun violence.

But it turns out the U.S. isn’t doing as well as it could be when it comes to crash deaths – or certainly not as well as many of its counterparts. In fact, the U.S. had the worst rate of crash deaths in 2013 per 100,000 people when compared with 19 other high-income countries, according to a Vital Signs report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 32,000 people in the U.S. died in car crashes that year – the latest covered by the report – and an additional 2 million people were injured.

These deaths continue to occur because of alcohol-impaired driving, speeding, and failing to use seat belts, car seats or booster seats. According to the report, about half of drivers or passengers who died in crashes in the U.S. in 2013 were not wearing a seat belt.