Photo: Orange County Fire Authority
Maps are powerful. They have this impressive capacity to tell an impactful story by simply displaying datasets overlayed on national borders. This is exactly what happened here. Upon seeing how U.S. road fatalities compare with the EU ones, the IIHS reacted. Its short answer revealed a major issue.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) accessed a comparison between the U.S. and the EU. These two maps paint a grim picture – each year, more Americans die on the road than Europeans. The problem is so bad that the U.S. has ten states where every year there are registered 160 or more deaths per million people. In contrast, the EU member with the worst result in road safety has had only 96 deaths per million people.
But looking at the comparison between Americans and Europeans reveals another big issue – there are almost no states where road deaths are at a minimum. The EU has five nations where, each year, less than 40 deaths per million people are recorded. In America, only nine states can report under 80 deaths per million people in a year.
The worst U.S. statistics come out of Wyoming, where, in 2019, there were 254 road deaths per million people. But this tragic loss of life continues to happen despite cars becoming smarter. The IIHS agrees with the data and points out multiple problems Americans must face.
In a recent tweet, the Institute said there are major differences between Europeans and Americans. In the U.S., very young drivers are allowed on the road, while over the pond, the minimum age for driving a full-size car is 18. There are exceptions for really small cars (called quadricycles) in most EU nations. Driving these types of vehicles can be accomplished by 16-year-olds after they pass the exam for a restricted driver’s license. Similarly, some countries like Hungary allow teens as young as 17 to get behind the wheel.
But in the U.S., some states allow 14-year-olds to start learning how to drive on public roads. Iowa, Kansas, Alaska, and Arkansas, for example, have this type of rule.
The IIHS also thinks Americans lose their life on the road more often than Europeans because drivers tend to get behind the wheel while under the influence. At the same time, there are a lot of dangerous rural roads. Also, experts think city environments are not safe enough for pedestrians and cyclists. The Institute would also like to see more camera enforcement being done.
One could also add that Americans drive more, and cars are often a necessity because public transport is lacking. Also, the car culture in the U.S. is a lot different than the one in Europe, and the vehicle itself plays a major role in most households.
The data used in this comparison has been extracted from the EU’s official statistical office, and the Fatality Facts report compiled by the IIHS.
But looking at the comparison between Americans and Europeans reveals another big issue – there are almost no states where road deaths are at a minimum. The EU has five nations where, each year, less than 40 deaths per million people are recorded. In America, only nine states can report under 80 deaths per million people in a year.
The worst U.S. statistics come out of Wyoming, where, in 2019, there were 254 road deaths per million people. But this tragic loss of life continues to happen despite cars becoming smarter. The IIHS agrees with the data and points out multiple problems Americans must face.
In a recent tweet, the Institute said there are major differences between Europeans and Americans. In the U.S., very young drivers are allowed on the road, while over the pond, the minimum age for driving a full-size car is 18. There are exceptions for really small cars (called quadricycles) in most EU nations. Driving these types of vehicles can be accomplished by 16-year-olds after they pass the exam for a restricted driver’s license. Similarly, some countries like Hungary allow teens as young as 17 to get behind the wheel.
But in the U.S., some states allow 14-year-olds to start learning how to drive on public roads. Iowa, Kansas, Alaska, and Arkansas, for example, have this type of rule.
The IIHS also thinks Americans lose their life on the road more often than Europeans because drivers tend to get behind the wheel while under the influence. At the same time, there are a lot of dangerous rural roads. Also, experts think city environments are not safe enough for pedestrians and cyclists. The Institute would also like to see more camera enforcement being done.
One could also add that Americans drive more, and cars are often a necessity because public transport is lacking. Also, the car culture in the U.S. is a lot different than the one in Europe, and the vehicle itself plays a major role in most households.
The data used in this comparison has been extracted from the EU’s official statistical office, and the Fatality Facts report compiled by the IIHS.
Significant differences: U.S. has more dangerous rural roads; more alcohol impaired drivers; urban streets more hazardous for pedestrians & cyclists; camera enforcement not widely used; and we allow very young drivers on the road. https://t.co/M2CzetgCyD.
— IIHS (@IIHS_autosafety) November 8, 2022
Google News