NHTSA Study Finds Not All Car-Related Injuries Occur in a Crash

When asked what the number-one source of car-related injuries is, most people will answer, “car accidents.” It’s true that car crashes are the most common source of injuries suffered in or near a motor vehicle.

But according to a recent study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes aren’t the only source of injuries people suffer in or around motor vehicles. The number of non-crash injuries is also significant: about 607,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for non-crash-related car injuries.

For adults, the most common type of non-crash car-related injury was damage to the hands or fingers after a vehicle door closed on them. Twenty-two percent of the injuries examined in the study involved closing a hand in a door. Falls when a person was getting into or out of a car accounted for 13 percent of the serious injuries, and injuries caused by loading or unloading the vehicle accounted for 10 percent.

For children, the most common injury was the closing of a door on the child’s hand or fingers, with 53 percent of the children studied suffering this kind of injury. Falls while getting in or out of the car injured 9 percent of the children studied, and falls from the hood, tailgate, or other exterior area of a vehicle accounted for 8 percent of the injuries. Children were more likely than adults to be injured in a non-crash incident.

Not all car-related injuries involve a crash. If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle mishap, the experienced Pleasanton personal injury attorneys at Caputo and Van Der Walde – Injury & Accident Attorneys may be able to help. Call us today at (800) 900-0863 to learn more.