Have you never been involved in a car accident before? If not, you may find the constant news reports about car crashes surprising. After all, around 40,000 Americans die in them every year, and far more are injured, so there’s a constant string of related stories.
A wreck’s never happened to you, however, so how is it so common for everyone else? And, importantly, does the fact you’ve never been in a wreck before just mean you’re eventually still going to have one?
Are you overdue for a wreck?
It has been argued that those who have not yet crashed are simply overdue. Maybe they’re lucky. Maybe they just haven’t gotten into their accidents yet.
Statistically, crashes happen to drivers about once every 18 years, on average. They’re not spaced out like that, of course, but it’s just the probability that a driver faces when he or she gets on the road. So, if you’ve been driving for 36 years without an accident, you’re definitely due for at least one. Even if you haven’t been driving that long, it could be in your future.
That said, you probably know people who crash frequently, which skews the statistics. After all, some people are just poor drivers, and others just drive more often — which increases the chances of an accident. On top of that, applying statistics to real life doesn’t always work perfectly. No matter what the numbers say, there are drivers out there who have never crashed and never will.
What if you do get into a car wreck?
Regardless of what you think about luck or probability, you can’t ignore those news stories or the potential for an accident. If you get hit by another driver, you also need to know how to seek financial compensation for your medical bills and other costs.