As noted in Cascadia Scorecard 2006, car crashes pose a huge--and underappreciated--risk to Cascadians’ health. The impacts unfold slowly, with an average of about 5 deaths each day across the region, but over time this death toll mounts to staggering proportions.

The counter below is a real-time estimate of the human and economic costs of car crashes this year to date.

Collisions in Washington:

0 deaths
0 injuries
0 total collisions
0 in economic losses

0 deaths
0 injuries
0 total collisions
0 in economic losses

0 deaths
0 injuries
0 total collisions
0 in economic losses

0 deaths
0 injuries
0 total collisions
No cost estimate available for BC

• Vehicle collisions are the number one killer of Cascadians under the age of 45, and are responsible for roughly 100,000 injuries each year.
• On average, vehicle collisions--including deaths to motorists, pedestrians, and bicycle riders--claim 5 lives each day across the region: 1 each, perhaps, in Oregon, British Columbia, and Idaho, and 2 in Washington.
• In all, some 50,000 Cascadians have perished in car crashes since 1980.
• Residents of low-density, sprawling areas are often dependent on cars for every trip, and as a result, drive more than residents of compact communities. Those extra miles add up to a higher risk of being in a serious accident.
• Read more about how community design is affecting our health in Cascadia Scorecard 2006: Focus on Sprawl & Health.
• Encouraging walkable communities and other solutions can help reduce driving, and reduce crash risk.