Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death in the United States, especially for those aged 5 to 34. A study found the annual cost of fatal motor vehicle accidents in Oregon was $422 million, with most costs coming from lost work. Young adults aged 20 to 34 accounted for the highest costs at $155 million. Various solutions are proposed to reduce accidents and fatalities, such as graduated licensing, sobriety checkpoints, and increased seatbelt enforcement.

1. Motor Vehicle Fatalities
What’s the leading cause of death in the United States? Is it heart disease? Cancer? Whatever the
disease statistics reveal, it may come as a surprise that fatal motor vehicle accidents are the number
one killer in America of people aged from 5 to 34. Across all age groups, a fatal motor vehicle
accident ranks in the top 10 of all things that kill U.S. citizens.
Naturally, the cost to relatives and friends of those who lose their lives on our roads goes far beyond
economics. However, the high cost of a fatal motor vehicle accident in Oregon has recently been
revealed in a government study, and the results are shocking. In a single year, the cost in terms of
medical expenses and lost work comes to a staggering $422 million. No, that’s not a national figure.
That figure is for Oregon alone. Nationally, the medical and work loss costs exceed $40 billion per
annum. When you consider that virtually all road deaths are ultimately preventable through
enforceable policies, driver education and other programs, the costs seem inexcusably high.
The breakdown
The statistics reveal even more surprises. For example, pedestrian fatalities in Oregon have a higher
cost than motorcycle fatalities! Does that mean you’re safer on a motorcycle than walking on the
sidewalk? It’s certainly open for debate, but the cost breakdown of the $422 million annual cost is:
• Medical costs of fatal motor vehicle accidents account for $4 million, leaving $418
million as work loss costs.
• Motor vehicle occupants are unsurprisingly the highest number, at $268 million, or 63%
of the total cost.
• Pedestrians quite surprisingly come in at number two, at a cost of $54 million, or 13% of
the overall total.
• Other unspecified motor vehicle traffic-related deaths account for 11% of the total, at a
cost of $47 million.
• Motorcyclists account for exactly 10% of the total, at $42 million.
• Bicyclists are rated at just 3% of the total and a cost of $11 million, but as there are
thankfully so few bicycle related fatalities, the producers of the study admit those
figures may be unstable.
When it comes to breaking down the figures by age group, one fact that may surprise people is that
children aged 0 to 14 account for almost twice as many fatalities as older adults aged 65 and over.
The breakdown in these figures shows:
• Young adults aged 20 to 34, account for 37% of the total medical and loss of work costs
in Oregon each year, or $155 million.

2. • Adults aged 35 to 64 come in a very close second place—36% of the total, or $154
million, virtually identical to the younger victims.
• Teens aged 15 to 19 come next statistically, at 16% and $69 million. Remember, these
figures don’t just relate to drivers, but to all victims.
• Children from 0 to 14 years of age account for 7%, or $28 million of the Oregon total.
• Adults aged 65 and over account for 4% of the total, or $16 million.
Comparing Oregon to other states
How does Oregon rank in terms of the cost of fatal motor vehicle accidents when compared with
other states in the northwest? Once again, the results may surprise you somewhat. They show that
in terms of an overall total cost, only Washington comes in higher, at $665 million. But then, the
population of Washington is 6.3 million people, compared to just 3.6 million in Oregon. Overall, the
figures show:
• Alaska, perhaps unsurprisingly, has the lowest crash-related death costs of all states in
the region, at $74 million. With a population of 700,000, that comes to a per capita cost
of $105 each.
• Washington, in spite of having the highest overall cost, comes in at exactly the same
$105 per capita cost as Alaska.
• Idaho has by far and away the worst record. With a population of 1.4 million, and an
annual crash-related death cost of $253 million, the per capita cost is a shocking $180.
• That leaves Oregon somewhere in between, with a per capita cost of $117.
Why are work loss costs so high?
Work loss costs are determined by estimating what the salary, fringe benefits and value of
household work would have been had the person who was killed lived a normal life. The figures are
based on average earnings of people of the same age and sex as the victims. Because the largest
proportion of people killed on Oregon roads are those between the ages of 15 and 34 (53% of the
total), the cost of lost work is disproportionately high, as these people would normally have had full
and productive lives for many years to come.
Ways to reduce the costs of a fatal motor vehicle accident
A number of solutions have been proposed, most of which are geared towards preventing accidents
from happening in the first place. After that, the emphasis is on preventing fatal injuries when
crashes do occur. Some ideas include:
• Introducing graduated drivers licensing laws, giving younger drivers more experience in
less hazardous conditions
• Creating larger numbers of sobriety checkpoints

3. • Introducing ignition interlocks for anyone convicted of driving while under the influence
of intoxicants
• Increased child safety seat and booster seat use
• Greater enforcement of seat belt laws
• Introducing and enforcing comprehensive motorcycle helmet laws
Oregon road traffic fatalities affect thousands of people each year, not just the hundreds that lose
their lives, but the husbands, wives, sons, daughters and parents that are left behind. In addition to
the emotional and psychological devastation of losing a loved one, the financial implications can also
be disastrous. If a member of your family has been killed in an Oregon fatal motor vehicle accident,
you’ll probably wonder how you’re going to cope. One of the best things you can do once you’re
able to face the world again is to contact a compassionate and experienced Portland personal injury
attorney for a free consultation, someone who will understand what you’re going through and what
lies ahead. They will help you deal with the insurance companies and get the compensation you and
the other family members who have been left behind need and deserve.