Even a fender bender can have a big impact on your week, and your wallet. But more serious crashes are taking their toll on the Northwest—car crashes are the leading cause of death of northwesterners under the age of 45, killing about 5 people a day in the region and injuring many more. These individuals tragedies add up to staggering proportions—2,000 deaths a year in the Northwest and an economic drain of more than $8 billion per year.

We’ve created a counter that shows the high personal and economic toll of our car-centered lives adding up in real time for the Northwest:

Car crashes, by the numbers

Even if your life has never been affected by an accident (and you’d be one of the few), it’s a strong argument for building cities that give people other options than driving (the more you drive, the higher your risk), and provide access to transit (mile of mile, the bus is 10 times safer than driving). Here are some of the ways we can get there.