CDC: Costs Related to Car Crashes

Motor vehicle crash-related deaths in the U.S. resulted in an estimated $41 billion in medical and work-loss costs in a year, according to state-based estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Half of this cost ($20.4 billion) was in ten states, the report says.

The ten states with the highest costs include: California ($4.16 billion); Texas ($3.50 billion); Florida ($3.16 billion); Georgia ($1.55 billion); Pennsylvania ($1.52 billion); North Carolina ($1.50 billion); New York ($1.33 billion); Illinois ($1.32 billion); Ohio ($1.23 billion); and Tennessee ($1.15 billion). Connecticut’s total medical and work loss costs were estimated at $263 million.

Deaths from motor vehicle crashes are preventable, says CDC. Seat belts, graduated driver’s license programs, child safety seats, and helmet use save lives and reduce health care costs.

CDC also found the cost related to crash deaths among children and teenagers from birth to 19 years old was nearly $856 million. The highest percentage of costs related to children and teen deaths was seen in Vermont (34%, $25 million), and the lowest was in Nevada (17%, $66 million). Despite the higher percentage in Vermont, its cost is lower due to the much lower total cost of injury.

For strategies to prevent crash-related deaths or full crash data on each state: http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/statecosts/