THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 31, 1994 TAG: 9408310492
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
In 1993, Suffolk was a dangerous place to drive and a safer place to walk.
According to a recently released study by the Department of Motor Vehicles, Suffolk had the highest traffic death rate for drivers in Virginia. Emporia ranked second, Martinsville third.
The study compared the number of traffic deaths with the number of licensed drivers to develop the rankings.
In 1993, Suffolk, with 36,105 licensed drivers, counted 15 fatalities - a rate of .42 deaths per thousand drivers. By contrast, Virginia Beach, with 288,000 licensed drivers, had 31 fatal traffic accidents - a rate of .11 per thousand.
Emporia's fatality rate was .34 per thousand drivers.
Suffolk's ranking has city officials stymied.
``It certainly causes me concern,'' said Thomas Hines, director of public works. ``We are continually doing everything we can do to ensure safe passage through Suffolk.''
Engineers in the state Department of Transportation said Suffolk's rural roads, high speed limit and little or no shoulder on rural roads might be factors in the high accident rate.
U.S. Route 58, Interstate 664 and high truck traffic may also be factors, they said.
Overall, 875 people were killed in traffic accidents in Virginia last year, a 4.3 percent increase over 1992. Of those, 397 were killed in alcohol-related accidents, a 4.8 percent increase.
Pedestrian fatalities have long plagued Suffolk. With the main line of the Norfolk-Southern Railroad running through downtown and many residents without cars, driving in Suffolk once was safer than walking. Now, those tables are turned.
On Sept. 30, Suffolk officials will head for Richmond to receive a safety award from the American Automobile Association for the city's efforts to curb pedestrian fatalities. The city had no pedestrian deaths last year and reduced the number of injuries from 40 in 1992 to 26 in 1993. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Staff Chart
Hampton Roads Highway Deaths
[for the year 1993]
City
Fatalities
Alcohol-related Highway deaths
Death Rate
For copy of chart, see microfilm.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC FATALITY STUDY STATISTICS by CNB