If you call the commonwealth home, you know that vehicles are a necessity for getting around. Wherever you live in Virginia, we all have to drive to get from point A to point B. But, how safe are our roads in Virginia, and what does crash data reveal about Virginia auto wrecks?
The 2021 Virginia data
The Virginia Highway Safety Office released data on 2021 Virginia vehicle crashes. Overall, the data points to some troubling trends on our roads, with close to 120,000 crashes in 2021. Of those accidents, the state reported close to 60,000 injured people. That represents over 160 people injured every day in 2021.
Negligent drivers
It is also troubling to see the amount of crashes the state attributes to negligent actions.
The state determined 20,000 accidents were caused by distracted drivers. An additional 6,000 accidents were reportedly caused by drivers operating under the influence of alcohol. Theoretically, at least, each one of these negligent drivers can be held responsible for their actions under Virginia liability law.
Final thoughts
If there continues to be a car accident every four minutes, many Virginians will unfortunately, encounter the stresses of an accident. Following motor vehicle crashes, you may experience the typical vehicle damage, but you could also experience severe mental health and physical trauma. This is why it can be so important to hold negligent drivers accountable to help make you whole again.
Attorneys help people who have been injured in car accidents to understand how the law might apply to the facts of their case, and to assess the legal options available to recover compensation.