Motor Vehicles Crash Injury Epidemiology

Motor vehicle crash injuries continue to be a formidable national public health problem. Every year more than 40,000 people die because of injuries suffered in motor vehicle collisions. Crashes, including those occurring on streets, highways, and private property, are the leading cause of death in the United States for those aged 2-33 years. While considerable life-saving progress has been made over the last 3 decades in the area of traffic safety, alcohol use and failure to use passenger restraints are still important factors in motor vehicle traffic fatalities. In recent years, fatalities to motorcyclists have increased substantially, while fatalities to pedestrians and pedalcyclists have decreased. This article will present some of the notable background epidemiology of motor vehicle crash injuries and recent trends impacting crash injury morbidity and mortality.