You might call it good news; only 5% of all automotive accidents are attributed to brake failure. But, since there are, on average, 6-million automotive accidents every year, that’s still a substantial number of accidents caused by brake failure. That’s approximately 300,000 automotive accidents due to brake failure.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration:

• More than 37,000 people die in road accidents each year
• More than 2.35 million are injured
• Automotive accidents cost about $230.6 billion each year
• On average, one alcohol-impaired accident results in a fatality every 48 minutes
• 47% of automotive accident fatalities involve someone who was not restrained by a seatbelt
• Distracted driving results in approximately 9% of fatal accidents 

The causes of car accidents include:

• Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted limit or racing – 16.9%
• Under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication – 10.5%
• Failure to keep in proper lane – 7.3%
• Failure to yield right of way – 7.1%
• Distracted (phone, talking, eating, object, etc) – 5.7%
• Operating vehicle in a careless manner – 5.7%
• Failure to obey traffic signs, signals or officer – 4.0%
• Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless or negligent manner – 3.8%
• Overcorrecting/oversteering – 3.5%
• Vision obscured (rain, snow, glare. Lights, buildings, trees, etc) – 3.0%
• Drowsy, asleep, fatigued, ill or blacked out – 2.5%
• Driving wrong way on one-way traffic or wrong side of road – 2.3%
• Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, etc – 2.1%
• Making improper turn – 1.0%
• Other factors – 11.9%
• None Reported – 25.7%

As these figures show, there are a lot of ways that a driver can mess up and cause an accident. But 37.6% of accidents could be attributed to mechanical failure. Since brake failure is responsible for 5% of all accidents, brake failure is even a larger portion of accidents caused by ‘Other factors” or “None Reported” accidents.

What it all comes down to is that, no matter how attentive and conscientious you are about your driving, you need to be equally attentive and conscientious about maintaining your vehicle. This includes having your brakes checked.

If you haven’t had your brakes checked lately, maybe you should.