2 Statistics Every American Driver Should Know

3% Fatality

~100 people die in car accidents every day (~37,000 per year).

And sadly, several of them are children…

On average, 200,000 children are injured and hospitalized annually due to “accidents” – (~1,000 are killed annually).

When talking about “accidents”, the CDC is referring to car accidents.

According to the CDC, the most common cause of death:

• Age 0-1 = Birth defects
• Age 1-4 = Accidents
• Age 5-9 = Accidents
• Age 10-14 = Accidents
• Age 15-24 = Accidents

Interesting facts!

Now, how many Americans have died from car accidents since the invention of the automobile? 

And How does this compare to the number who have died in wars?  

Since the start of the 1775 American revolution, nearly 1 million Americans have died in wars.

Since Henry Ford introduced the mass-produced motor vehicle in 1913, more than 2.5 million Americans have died on the road. 

According to one of the smartest people on earth, Marilyn vos Savant – she had an IQ score of an astounding 228 – Americans are dying at a rate of 2.5 times more from car accidents, compared to wars.

And keep in mind, the war death count started 250 years ago while the automobile death count started only 108 years ago.

Moving onto the remaining 97%

27% (Serious injury – non-fatal)  & 70% (Property damage + minor injury)

This means ~8,200 Americans are seriously injured and disabled every single day (~3 million annually).

As an upper cervical chiropractor who sees hundreds of suffering patients every week, do not let “minor injury” fool you.

Just because you see 70% classified as a “minor injury” does not mean it doesn’t need to be taken seriously.

Even minor injuries need to be evaluated and treated, especially when it comes to a head and neck injury – such as concussion or whiplash.

Here’s why.

When the head and neck are injured, and the injury is neglected and put off, the rest of the body and spine will start to degenerate. 

This is because the spine will sacrifice itself to protect the brainstem – the most important part of the body. 

So although you don’t notice pain or symptoms immediately, it’s extremely important to get the alignment of the head and neck evaluated and corrected before the rest of the body compensates for it. 

Keep in mind, pain and symptoms typically show up LAST.

Here’s what typically happens when someone comes to us for help: 

2-3 years ago the person got into a car accident or had some sort of whiplash injury from head/neck trauma.

They didn’t think the injury was serious because they didn’t notice pain afterward.

Because of this, they did NOT seek out proper treatment (chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, etc.) even though it was likely FREE, covered by the car insurance. 

So they neglected the injury for 2-3 years (on average) until the pain got so bad they came to us asking for help, wondering what caused the pain in the first place. 

Most times, the pain and symptoms show up in the form of  headaches, brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, and of course most popular – neck and back pain.

Although it’s never too late to get the problem corrected, if they would have come to us 2-3 years ago, they would not be suffering and paying out of pocket.

Yes, paying out of pocket. The car insurance will not pay for exams and treatment if you wait longer than 30 days after an accident to file a claim with them.

To summarize, just because you think a car accident is not that serious,, you still should get your neck evaluated by an upper cervical NUCCA chiropractor. Getting rear-ended at 10 mph might seem minor, but it can cause pain and symptoms in the future.

Besides, car insurance will likely cover it so you have nothing to lose. 

Don’t wait until the pain shows up one day – unless you want to make it harder for the doctor to correct, and want to pay out of pocket. 

We encourage everyone reading this, if you ever get into a car accident, go see your chiropractor for an evaluation within 30 days (preferably within two days).

And if possible go to an upper cervical NUCCA chiropractor, someone who is gentle and specific when working with your neck.

Schedule a free Video Consultation with Dr. Corey Burt to see if NUCCA upper cervical chiropractic is right for you.