Federal Study Finds Increased Risk Of Injury In Older Cars

Many residents of New Orleans easily make do with an older car. After all, if the car is running well, there may be little point in spending the money to replace it. Unfortunately, a study has revealed that driving an older model car actually increases the likelihood of suffering a personal injury in a motor vehicle accident.

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued the results of its study regarding whether vehicle safety improvements in newer vehicles have helped prevent personal injury and fatal accidents. The study, entitled “An Analysis of Recent Improvements to Vehicle Safety,” involved a detailed statistical analysis of motor vehicle accidents to determine the relationship, if any, between safety improvements and the historically low motor vehicle accident injury and fatality rates documented the last few years.

While it is not surprising that new features have made vehicles safer, in some cases the degree of improvement is surprising. In comparing 2008 and 2000 model year vehicles, the NHTSA found that the likelihood of crashing for every 100,000 miles driven decreased from 30 percent when driving a year 2000 model to 25 percent when driving a 2008 car, and the likelihood of being uninjured when a crash did occur improved from 79 percent to 82 percent.

The study further found that safety improvements made after the year 2000 prevented approximately 700,000 vehicle crashes, and – in 2008 alone – 200,000 additional crashes could have been prevented if the older vehicles involved had possessed newer safety features. Safety improvements prevented or reduced in severity approximately 1 million injuries, with approximately 2,000 lives being saved in 2008 alone as a direct result of improved safety equipment.

While the goal of improving vehicle safety is worthwhile, many people continue to suffer personal injury as a result of negligent drivers. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please call us at (504) 527-8767. We can answer your questions regarding your legal rights.