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Last Updated: 03/25/2005
The Rockbridge Report is produced
under the supervision of the Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communications
at Washington and Lee University.
Reporting supervisors: Prof. Doug Cumming
Technical supervisor:
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Traffic accidents prove to be
a major cause of death By Nazo Burgy Every five seconds there is a car accident somewhere in the United States and every 12 minutes somebody is killed as a result. Though car accident fatalities have decreased nationwide over the past year, they have increased by 3.2 percent in Virginia. Car accidents were also the leading cause of death for people ages four to 34 in 2002. In February, a Raphine woman died after her cat hit a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81, according to the Lexington News Gazette. Michelle Wilson, 22, was trying to pass a tractor-trailer when her car ran off the road and then struck the truck when she swerved back onto the highway. Wilson was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from her car. Every traffic accident is unique and many can be tragic. But statistics can also shed light on traffic accidents, their costs and their causes in hopes of reducing the number of fatalities. According to a study released earlier this year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the deadliest day on the road is July 4. Saturday evening is the deadliest time of the week. In 2003, there were 943 fatal car accidents in Virginia, which accounted for over two percent of the national total for fatalities. Of the 943 fatalities, 39 percent were alcohol related and 30 percent were speed related. In Rockbridge County, there were 786 car accidents in 2003, eight of which were fatal. However, Lexington has not had a fatal car accident since 1990. Lexington Police Chief Bruce Beard credits this to the low speed limits in the city. “Our advantage is that the fastest speed limit in town is 35 mph,” he said. He also added that Lexington is very fortunate to have such low numbers, especially considering it is a college town. A separate study conducted by The Road Information Program found that rural roads in Southeastern states are the most dangerous in America. The report said that more than half of all traffic fatalities from 1999 to 2003 occurred on rural two-lane roads. The report excluded rural interstate routes, such as I-81, because it said “they are built to very high safety standards, and do not have the significant traffic safety problems common on many rural roads.” Local statistics also held true to the national numbers, as 55 percent of fatalities in Virginia were on rural, non-interstate routes. Of the 50 states, Virginia was 28th for percentage of fatalities on rural roads. Mississippi had the highest percentage, while Rhode Island had the lowest percentage. The study identified several factors that contribute to these fatalities, including poor roadway design, higher speeds traveled on rural roads and longer emergency vehicle response times.
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