Car Accidents Are the Leading Cause of Brain Injury

While there are various types of brain injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) refer to those caused by a sudden physical force to the head. In the United States, there are more than one million TBI injuries suffered each year, with a significant number of them that turn fatal. Most cause irreversible effects on the patient suffering the injury. One frustrating part of TBI incidents is that many of them could have been avoided.

While TBI incidents are most commonly associated with falls, motor vehicle accidents make up the second largest amount. Accounting for roughly 20% of TBI incidents, approximately 20,000,000 people suffer a TBI as a result of a motor vehicle accident each year in the United States. Interestingly enough, another statistic suggests that teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 are at the highest risk of suffering a TBI. This just happens to be the age when individuals are just starting to drive. It is reasonable to assume that there is a correlation between young drivers and TBI. Ultimately, a lot of TBI incidents can be avoided with proper driver’s education and teenagers and their parents adopting safe driving habits. The pie chart below illustrates the leading causes of brain injuries in the U.S.