• Statistically, 1 out of 2 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in Mississippi are not buckled up.
• Teenage drivers and passengers are among those least likely to wear their seat belts.
• Nationally, 90.1% of Americans wear their seat belts. In Mississippi, that number is only 77.9%. which puts us among some of the lowest seat belt use rates in the nation.
• Nationally, seat belts saved 13,941 lives of people aged 5 and older in 2015. Child Restrains saved another 266 children ages 4 and younger during that time.
• In Mississippi, seat belts saved 296 lives in 2015. If 100% of vehicle occupants buckled up, another 121 lives would have been saved.

• In 2016, drunk driving fatalities represented 18% of total traffic deaths in Mississippi.
• America has more drunk drivers than most countries have people.
• Each year, more than 10,000 people die on our roadways due to drunk driving. That would equal 20 jumbo jets crashing each year.

• In 2015, 3,477 people were killed nationally in crashes involving a distracted driver.
• Text messaging creates a risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.
• Drivers talking or texting can miss seeing up to 50% of their driving environment, a phenomenon known as “inattention blindness.”
• Contrary to popular belief, the human brain cannot multitask. Instead of processing both cognitive tasks at once, the brain rapidly switches between the two activities.
• Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent - at 55 MPH - of traveling the length of an entire football field, blind.
• 660,000 drivers are using or manipulating electronic devices while driving at any given daylight moment in America.
• For drivers 15-19 years old involved in fatal crashes, 21% were distracted by the use of cell phones.
• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%.

• There were 690 fatalities on Mississippi roadways in 2016.
• There were approximately 40,200 fatalities nationally in 2015.
• The economic cost to society for car crashes in the U.S. was $242 BILLION in 2010.
• There were 96 motor vehicle fatalities PER DAY in the U.S. in 2015. Another 6,693 people were injured…every.day.
• 1 out of 3 deaths among US teens are the result of a motor vehicle crash.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-20 year-olds in the US.
• Car crashes are the number one killer of children 1 to 12 years old in the US.
• In 2015, there were 1,886 drivers 15-20 years old who died in motor vehicle crashes. Another 195,000 young drivers were injured.

• Unintentional pedestrian injuries are the fifth leading cause of injury-related death in the United States for children ages 5 to 19. Teenagers are now at greatest risk. Teens have a death rate twice that of younger children and account for half of all child pedestrian deaths. - See more
• There were a total of 4,743 pedestrian fatalities in 2012; the 14-and-younger age group accounted for 5% of those fatalities. More than one-fifth (22%) of the traffic fatalities in the 14-and-younger age group were pedestrians.
• In 2011, pedestrian deaths accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, and made up 3% of all the people injured in traffic crashes.
• In 2011, almost 3/4 (73%) of pedestrian fatalities occurred in an urban setting versus a rural setting. Over 2/3 (70%) of pedestrian fatalities occurred at non-intersections versus at intersections. 88% of pedestrian fatalities occurred during normal weather conditions (clear/cloudy), compared to rain, snow and foggy conditions. A majority of the pedestrian fatalities (70%) occurred during the nighttime (6 p.m. – 5:59 a.m). Between 2010 and 2011, all percentages stayed relatively level (Table 2).
• In 2011, over 1/5 (21%) of all children between the ages of 10 and 15 who were killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians. Children age 15 and younger accounted for 6 percent of the pedestrian fatalities in 2011 and 19 percent of all pedestrians injured in traffic crashes
• If a pedestrian is struck by a car at 40 mph, there is an 85% chance of death. This percentage drops to 45% at 30 mph and 5% at 20 mph. Thus, slowing vehicle speeds not only reduces the chance of an accident (less stopping distance required), but it also reduces the chance of a pedestrian fatality. (See High Speeds Increase Ped Injuries-Graph.)

• In 2012, 18% of the bicyclists injured in motor vehicle crashes were 14 and younger.
• All cyclists should wear properly fitted bicycle helmets every time they ride. A helmet is the single most effective way to prevent head injury resulting from a bicycle crash.
• Bicyclists are considered vehicle operators; they are required to obey the same rules of the road as other vehicle operators, including obeying traffic signs, signals, and lane markings. When cycling in the street, cyclists must ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Drivers of motor vehicles must allow at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist on the road. It’s a Mississippi law.
• Be Safe Be Seen - Bicyclists should increase their visibility to drivers by wearing fluorescent or brightly colored clothing during the day, and at dawn or dusk. To be noticed when riding at night, use a front light and a red reflector or flashing rear light, and use retro-reflective tape or markings on equipment or clothing.
• highest injury rate (321) among bicyclists occurred in the 10-to-15 age group.
• Alcohol involvement was reported in more than 37 % of all fatal pedalcyclist crashes in 2012.

• Texting and walking is a known danger, but distracted walking results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving. Consequences include bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter or stepping into traffic. Though injuries from car accidents involving texting are often more severe, physical harm resulting from texting and walking occurs more frequently, research shows.
• An analysis of hospital data conducted at Ohio State University found that injuries involving pedestrians on their cell phones has more than doubled between 2005 and 2010.
• One in five high school students and one in eight middle school students crosses the street while distracted, according to a research report released by Safe Kids Worldwide.
• The report, “Teens and Distraction: An In-Depth Look at Teens’ Walking Behaviors,” presents an observational study that recorded more than 34,000 middle and high school students crossing the street in a school zone. According to the research, 39% of the students who are crossing the street while distracted are typing on a cell phone and 39 % are listening to headphones. The remaining students are talking on the phone (20%) or using another electronic device, such as a tablet or game (2%).
• The study was developed to explore findings from a 2012 Safe Kids report that found pedestrian injuries among 16-19 year olds increased 25 percent over the previous five years. Teens now account for half of all pedestrian deaths among children 19 and under.
• In addition to the observational survey, the study also describes findings from discussions with more than 2,400 students. Almost half of the students (49%) say they use a cell phone while walking to school. Four out of 10 say they listen to music while walking. Interestingly, while teens are at the greatest risk for pedestrian crashes, only 22 percent of students say it is kids their own age who are most likely to be hit by a car while walking.