Hit-and-run crashes & fatalities on the rise

Hit-and-run crashes often make the nightly news, especially when a pedestrian or cyclist are involved. Many of us are left wondering how someone could plow into a person or property, then just drive away?

A new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, titled “Hit-and-Run Crashes: Prevalence, Contributing Factors and Countermeasures,” explores the alarming finding that the number of hit-and-run fatalities has been increasing at an average rate of 7.2% per year since 2009.

In 2016, there were 1,980 fatal hit-and-run crashes resulting in 2,049 fatalities. This is the highest annual number of hit-and-run fatalities or crashes recorded since the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began compiling statistics on fatal motor vehicle crashes in 1975.

A large part of this increase has been in fatal crashes involving pedestrians.

Do your clients have adequate UM coverage?

In the United States, about half of all hit-and-run drivers are eventually identified. Given the nature of the crime, a true profile of hit-and-run-offenders is not possible, but research does show that drivers in hit-and-run fatalities are more likely to be:

• Young males and have a history of prior DWI and license suspension.
• They tend to drive older model cars, suggesting having a lower socioeconomic status.
• They often have a positive blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of arrest.

Uninsured motorist coverage comes into play after accidents involving an unidentified hit-and-run driver.​ Make sure your auto insurance clients have adequate coverage to handle the additional expense and aggravation of being the victim of a hit-and-run crash.

Factors associated with hit-and-run crashes

Environmental factors such as lighting, roadway layout and location of the crash have been shown to be associated with the likelihood of hit-and-run crashes. One study has found that fleeing from the scene to be nearly 4.4 times more likely between midnight and 4 a.m., compared with fatal crashes between 8 a.m. and 11:59 a.m.

Related: 20 car crash tips and things you should know after an accident

Interestingly, weather conditions have not been shown to be a statistically significant predictor of hit-and-run crashes.

Undivided roadways have been shown to increase the likelihood of a hit-and-run crash in the U.S., but not in Japan. Fatal hit-and-run crashes are more likely on roads with lower speed limits.

Researchers have found that hit-and-run crashes are also more common on lower-speed sections of roadways such as curved roads, bends, overpasses and ramps.  These may be areas that pedestrians are more likely to cross. Additionally, damage sustained during crashes on higher-speed roads may limit the ability of a driver to flee the scene.

Motivation to run?

People seem to have a diverse range of reasons for fleeing the scene of a crash. One study suggests a broad range of countermeasures involving education, law enforcement and the use of dashcams to combat hit-and-run crashes.

According to the AAA Foundation, a clearer profile of hit-and-run drivers, especially those who flee crashes where only property damage has occurred, would be useful for understanding why people make such a seemingly irrational decision.

Breakdown by state

States with the highest rates of hit-and-run crashes:

1. New Mexico.
2. Louisiana.
3. Florida.

State with the lowest rates of hit-and-run crashes:

1. New Hampshire.
2. Maine.
3.  Minnesota.

Learn more from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Research Brief.