There are some troubling trends on the roads of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Two reports that were recently published provide hard data about the dangerous conditions on the streets of Maryland, Virginia, and D.C.
One report is by Allstate, an insurance company, called Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report®. The other is a June report from the National Highway Safety Administration called Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2018.
Allstate Report
Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report® is an annual report which identifies the safest of America’s 200 largest cities. The report uses insurance claims data to determine the likelihood drivers in America’s most populous cities will experience a car accident compared to the national average, and then ranks safety based on the results.
Here are a few findings from the Allstate report:
- Baltimore, Maryland drivers were ranked the worst in the nation with those motorists being 152.5% more likely to be involved in a collision than drivers nationally;
- Washington, D.C. drivers came in second worst with those drivers being 142.3% more likely to be involved in a collision than drivers nationally;
- Alexandria, Virginia drivers were 9th worst; and
- Arlington, Virginia drivers were 33rd worst.
The report went on to identify especially dangerous roads throughout the DMV. These roads include Route 695 in Baltimore, Maryland, Route 295 in Washington, D.C., and Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia.
NHTSA Report
The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) report also found a number of concerning road safety issues, including those related to cyclist and pedestrian safety.
- For the second consecutive year, fatal pedestrian and bicyclist accidents rose while the overall number of traffic deaths fell in the United States;
- While there was, thankfully, a 1% decline in total traffic deaths in 2018, cyclist fatalities rose 10% and pedestrian deaths rose 4% last year.
Many experts cite safer car design and roads built for those in vehicles as the reasons that the number of overall deaths is diminishing. The same experts point to a rise in popularity of cycling and walking that has led to more fatalities in those groups because a lot of routes become popular before streets have been properly redesigned for bicyclist and pedestrian safety. Additionally, smartphone use has been a major cause of additional deaths as people drive distracted more often. Pedestrian deaths have risen since 2009, when smartphone usage became abundant.
CSCS: We Fight for Vehicle Accident Victims & Families
Transportation safety advocates call for protected lanes, safer road design, stricter traffic enforcement, and lower speed limits to make roadways safer, and save cyclist and pedestrian lives. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of work to do to improve safety and reduce crash rates on roads in the DMV area.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a vehicle collision caused by a negligent motorist, our award-winning personal injury lawyers can review your case and explain your rights and options. Call (202) 659-8600 or contact us online for a free consultation.