Watching WJLA every night has become a routine in your household. The results have been mixed. Although it’s great to stay up-to-date on current affairs, the news can not only be depressing but even terrifying at times.
Almost every evening on the 7 o’clock news, you see a story about a multi-car crash on US-17, a bus collision on US-29, or some other vehicle accident around town, and you think to yourself, is it even safe to back out of your parking lot anymore?
Recently Compiled Virginia Car Crash Data From 2013 to 2014
Although vehicle collision injuries and deaths have been very slowly decreasing over the past three years (an approximate 2 percent decrease since 2012), the numbers are still tragically high. In addition to the number of injuries that are still occurring, alcohol-related accidents are on the rise (up 10 percent since 2012), as well as an increased number of speed-related deaths (up 9 percent since 2012).
Data taken from the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and the Virginia Highway Safety Office help illustrate the severity of vehicle collisions in our state as well as the risks you face on a daily basis, every time you get behind the wheel.
- Between January 2013 and January 2014, about 122,000 crashes were reported to Virginia authorities.
- In that same period, there were 741 car accident fatalities; 253 were alcohol related.
- There were 65,114 people severely injured in those accidents, (5,288 alcohol related).
- Some 400 teenagers were injured due to alcohol related collisions.
- There were 13,591 speed-related injuries and 339 speeding fatalities.
- The worst accident month? With approximately 16,000 crashes resulting in 6,100 injuries and fatalities, October 2013 was the worst month in the period for car-related accidents.
Don’t be a statistic! Pay attention, follow traffic safety guidelines, and help promote safety awareness to decrease accident injuries and fatalities.
Do you want our roads to be safe for your family? Help spread the word by sharing this page with your friends, family, coworkers and fellow parents on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. Even if only one person you share it with changes his driving habits for the better, that is one less person you need to worry about harming your family. Share now to help make our roads a safer place to drive.
