Motor vehicle crashes continue to be one of the leading causes of accidental death in the United States,1 ranking 3rd among unintentional injuries. Vehicle accidents pose a significant risk to any organization and the risk has been growing.
Overview of the fleet risk environment
Consider the following:
25%
Vehicle accidents pose a big on-the-job risk to your employees, making up about 25% of all work fatalities in the US.2
14%
Vehicle fatality rates have risen 14% since 2019, after more than 30 years of declining or leveling fatalities.3
56%
Pedestrian fatalities from auto crashes have increased 56% over the last 10 years.4
- Vehicle repair times for a fender bender take 6 to 8 weeks; complex repairs can take even longer.5
- Due to inflation, fender-bender repair costs now average $4,000.5
Crashes resulting in injury and death have led to much higher legal damages due to rising medical costs and society’s expectations related to injury or loss, often referred to as social inflation.
There was a time when human services and senior living organizations would receive some tolerance when they were involved in an accident, because these organizations are doing good in the community and are often operating with limited resources and volunteers.
This attitude has changed in recent years. Now, human services and senior living organizations are given little forgiveness when it comes to being responsible for an accident. Drivers and organizations who transport passengers are expected to have a higher standard of care.
Back to main page for the Fleet self-assessment and resources
[1] “WISQARS Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wisqars.cdc.gov (accessed June 10, 2025).
[2] “Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2022 (PDF) (accessed June 10, 2025).
[3] “Early estimate of motor vehicle traffic fatalities for the first half of 2024,” U.S. Department of Transportation, crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813633 (accessed June 10, 2025).
[4] “Pedestrians,” U.S. Department of Transportation, crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813590 (July 2023).
[5] “Nationwide Agency Forward Driving Behaviors Survey Findings: 2023 (PDF),” news.nationwide.com/download/fdbb5f95-29cc-4703-9ebe0364e78bd0f4/nationwidedrivingbehaviors2023findings.pdf (PDF) (March 2023).