Wright County Crashes Reviewed
March 21, 2008
Although the State of Minnesota will not release the official count for 2007 crash fatalities for a few weeks, the Fatal Review Committee of Safe Communities of Wright County has reviewed all the 2007 fatal crashes that happened within the County’s boundaries.
The Fatal Review Committee is made up of professionals from law enforcement, emergency response, engineering and education. Participants include the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, MN State Patrol, Allina Medical Transportation, Wright County Highway Department, and Wright County Public Health. The goal of this group is to review fatal crashes that happen in Wright County and identify commonalities, patterns, and trends that could be addressed to prevent future crashes.
In 2007, there were 19 crashes in Wright County that resulted in 20 fatalities. Of these crashes, 15 of them involved cars/pick ups/SUV’s and 4 of them involved motorcycles. This is a significant increase compared to recent years where 2006 saw 11 crash fatalities and 2005 saw 16 fatals.
Although there is no one single reason why there was an increase in the number of fatalities for 2007, we do know there are some common factors in the crashes that occurred. Driver impairment was the major contributing factor in 40% of these fatalities. That is slightly higher than the state average of 34% (in previous years). Improper lane usage also ranked high with 37% of the crashes resulting from this. Inattentive driving, which has ranked high in previous years, was only a factor in 2 of the crashes.
Many drivers associate poor weather and road conditions with crashes, however the month that had the most fatalities in 2007 was July (followed by October). None of the 19 crashes that happened in Wright County identified weather as a contributing factor.
Wearing your seat belt is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in the event of a crash – any kind of crash. Last year, 45% of the County’s crash fatality victims were not wearing their seat belt. Three out of four of the motorcycle victims were not wearing a helmet.
Driver’s who follow four simple actions can increase their safety when they are behind the wheel: Always wear a seat belt, Drive at safe speeds, Drive sober, and Pay attention. Safe Communities of Wright County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to decrease traffic crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities through prevention and education.
The Fatal Review Committee is made up of professionals from law enforcement, emergency response, engineering and education. Participants include the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, MN State Patrol, Allina Medical Transportation, Wright County Highway Department, and Wright County Public Health. The goal of this group is to review fatal crashes that happen in Wright County and identify commonalities, patterns, and trends that could be addressed to prevent future crashes.
In 2007, there were 19 crashes in Wright County that resulted in 20 fatalities. Of these crashes, 15 of them involved cars/pick ups/SUV’s and 4 of them involved motorcycles. This is a significant increase compared to recent years where 2006 saw 11 crash fatalities and 2005 saw 16 fatals.
Although there is no one single reason why there was an increase in the number of fatalities for 2007, we do know there are some common factors in the crashes that occurred. Driver impairment was the major contributing factor in 40% of these fatalities. That is slightly higher than the state average of 34% (in previous years). Improper lane usage also ranked high with 37% of the crashes resulting from this. Inattentive driving, which has ranked high in previous years, was only a factor in 2 of the crashes.
Many drivers associate poor weather and road conditions with crashes, however the month that had the most fatalities in 2007 was July (followed by October). None of the 19 crashes that happened in Wright County identified weather as a contributing factor.
Wearing your seat belt is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in the event of a crash – any kind of crash. Last year, 45% of the County’s crash fatality victims were not wearing their seat belt. Three out of four of the motorcycle victims were not wearing a helmet.
Driver’s who follow four simple actions can increase their safety when they are behind the wheel: Always wear a seat belt, Drive at safe speeds, Drive sober, and Pay attention. Safe Communities of Wright County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to decrease traffic crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities through prevention and education.
0
Comment(s) -
Post a Comment
