DRIVETIME: 1-vehicle wrecks are deadliest

Dear Mahatma: One of my friends thinks there are a lot of one-vehicle fatal accidents. She thinks there has been a big increase. True? -- Horse Whisperer

Dear Whisp: Prepare yourself for data, courtesy of the highway safety folks of the Arkansas State Police.

2010 -- 517 fatal crashes, 320 of which were single vehicle; 571 fatalities, 343 of which were single vehicle, or 60 percent.

2011 -- 509 fatal crashes, 317 of which were single vehicle; 551 fatalities, 332 of which were single vehicle, or 60 percent.

2012 -- 504 fatal crashes, 305 of which were single vehicle; 560 fatalities, of which 326 were single vehicle, or 58 percent.

2013 -- 461 fatal crashes, 286 of which were single vehicle; 499 fatalities, of which 305 were single vehicle, or 61 percent.

2014 -- 436 fatal crashes, of which 243 were single vehicle; 470 fatalities, of which 253 were single vehicle, or 54 percent.

Three observations:

First, that the number of fatalities in single-vehicle crashes is relatively stable over this period, ranging from a low of 54 percent to a high of 61 percent.

Second, not to overpower readers with numbers, but here are a bit more. The total number of traffic accidents over these five years hovers around 60,000 annually. Of these, approximately 17,000, or 28 percent, involve single vehicles. Year after year. So the percentage of single-vehicle crashes as a whole is much lower than the percentage of single-vehicle fatalities.

This lends credence to what we were once told by a safety expert. The typical Arkansas traffic fatality, she said, was a young man driving off a rural road in his pickup and hitting a tree.

Third, that the number of traffic fatalities in Arkansas dropped sharply from 2010 to 2014, from 571 to 470. One hundred and one fewer people died in traffic accidents in 2014 than did in 2010. That's an 18 percent decline. That's beautiful.

Why? Here's a slightly informed opinion.

The auto industry is in a boom cycle. Lots of old vehicles are off the road. New vehicles equipped with safety features such as lane departure alerts, lots of air bags and more are now on the road.

Restrictions on teen drivers. As the Department of Finance and Administration tells us, drivers in the 14 to 18 age group must adhere to a progressive licensing program. Young drivers must follow the restrictions at each level before they move to the next. Credit to the Arkansas Graduated Licensing Law, Act 1694 of 2001.

Better and safer highways. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department will spend close to $1.5 billion on its interstate rehabilitation program, authorized by vote of the public in 2011. A total of 82 projects will improve 495 miles of the interstate highway system.

This column, which for nine years has informed, educated and inspired drivers to ... what? Egotistical! Says you, buddy.

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Metro on 07/30/2016

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