2020 was a year like no other in many respects, including the number of lives lost due to vehicle accidents. Though it may seem counterintuitive with fewer people on the roads, here are some of the reason why:
The National Safety Council (NSC) recently released initial findings on road fatalities in 2020, and the news is not good. Vehicle fatalities increased 8% in a single year (2019) and 24% compared to 2007.
This equates to 42,060 deaths in the US caused by vehicle crashes, which is the highest increase in nearly 100 years when the NSC began compiling the data.
According to the NSC, the increase in deaths is a direct result of people speeding on less congested roads due to the pandemic and more frequent reckless driving behavior, including driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and not wearing a seat belt.
As of this blog's publishing date, I could not find any state-specific statistics, but interesting enough, New Hampshire was an example of driving down traffic deaths in 2019 with a 30% decrease from 2018.
According to the Office of Highway Safety, there were still 99 traffic-related fatalities and 88 fatal crashes in 2019. Also, according to NH Transportation Management Center, there have been nine fatalities since January 2021 in NH.
Because one fatality is one death too many, the Transportation Management Center strives to eliminate all fatalities on NH roadways with the New Hampshire Driving Towards Zero plan.
4. Wear a seat belt: According to the National Safety Council, seat belts reduce your risk of injury in an accident by 50%. That is a considerable number and worth getting your clothes a little wrinkled over.
Nobody wants to think about being involved in a fatal car accident, but it does happen to even the best drivers. This is why having the right coverage in place is essential.
If you are legally held responsible for causing a fatal car accident, you will most likely be sued. This is why having adequate coverage is critical. Though it is impossible to determine what is enough coverage given all the possible scenarios, a good guide is to consider your assets (current and future) and then look at your auto policy. Are the liability limits lower than all your assets and potential earnings? If so, you should increase these limits and perhaps consider a NH umbrella policy.
Talk to an insurance professional, and they can provide you quotes to increase coverage on your NH auto policy or on an umbrella policy.
Even if you are not found legally at fault in an auto accident, your NH car insurance policy can protect you with uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. In NH, your uninsured and underinsured auto coverage must be equal to the bodily injury liability coverage you purchase. Essentially, this means that you are protecting others as much as you are protecting yourself against injury in a car accident.
As New Hampshire is a state where car insurance is not mandatory, it is not uncommon of to be involved in an accident with someone who has no insurance. What would this mean for you if seriously injured (or worse) in a car accident? It means that you may be able to collect for your injuries and/or pain-and-suffering under your policy if the legally responsible driver did not carry enough coverage to compensate you for your damages or had no coverage at all..
Uninsured and underinsured coverage can be a huge benefit so be sure to speak with your insurance professional to review the coverage on your NH Car Insurance policy.
Stay safe out there and let's make 2021 a safer year on the road!