TOLEDO, Ohio — More than 40,000 people die every year on U.S. roads, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
When people think about a public health crisis, they may think about the flu or other diseases, but experts say crashes are also among these topics.
"Just like the flu can be prevented by washing your hands and limiting your risk, being involved in a crash can absolutely be prevented," said Judy Converse, the public information officer for the Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
It's important to avoid unsafe driving practices, she added.
"Driver behavior is usually at fault in all crashes in Ohio, whether that driver may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, that driver may be distracted in the vehicle by a cell phone device," Converse said.
Behaviors behind the wheel put more than just the driver's health at risk, too.
There have been 6,500 crashes with 24 fatalities and 139 serious injuries in Lucas County so far this year, according to data from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department. There were seven fatal crashes in Lucas County in June and July.
State Route 2 has the highest number of crashes, accounting for more than 400. I-475 follows close behind.
Natalie Hasse, the TLCHD traffic safety health educator, said speed is one of the leading causes of fatal crashes, especially on highways.
"Speed kills, it really does because of the impact," said Hasse. "Roadways are built by engineers for efficiency, but we all know if you go down a certain street at a certain speed, you can miss that."
"It is a public health crisis because we're constantly traveling again personally or professionally," she added. "We're just exposed to different elements, so we want our community to be as safe as possible."
However, there have been fewer crashes so far this year than at the same time last year.