October 22, 2012
While Virginia has seen a steady decline in the number of serious motor vehicle accidents in recent years, experts say the trend seems to be slowing down.
The Virginia-Pilot says the number of serious motor vehicle accidents in the state dropped from 5,803 crashes in 2010 to 5,662 in 2011. This was accredited to stricter licensing policies for new drivers and DUI laws, seatbelt use, and law enforcement’s educational campaigns. A spokeswoman for the Virginia Highway Safety Office, Mary Ann Rayment, lauded DUI checkpoints, along with the Click-It-Or-Ticket campaign for reducing drunk drivers on the road, which can be a major catalyst for serious accidents. Others say the increase in seatbelt usage, from 70 percent in the late 90’s to 82 percent last year, could be credited with the reduction in motor vehicle crashes.
Despite the decrease, more than 700 people die in motor vehicle accidents each year in Virginia and many cities have had a consistent number of serious accidents for decades. In fact, Norfolk Car Accident numbers have remained around 80 annually since the beginning of the decade. Officials plan to combat the problem by working to clear accident scenes faster. They believe this will help to prevent secondary crashes from occurring.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley are hopeful the new strategy will be successful in reducing the number of Virginia Car Accidents that occur each year.
