How To Reduce Holiday Traffic Fatalities

November 29th, 2007 Posted in ,

By NMA President, James Baxter

The State of Virginia is lamenting the fact that the state’s highway fatalities are on track to reach one thousand traffic-related deaths. Bringing this into sharper focus were the 16 fatalities that occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday period.

These fatalities occurred despite the deployment of 75 percent of the state police force and the issuance of 21,000 traffic tickets.

They just don’t get it.

Clogging the highways with “quota-charged” state troopers intent on issuing tickets hasn’t, and never will, reduce traffic accidents.

If Virginia, or any other state, wants to reduce holiday traffic accidents, here are four alternatives to the routine ticket frenzy that will actually serve the traveling public:

1) All active construction zones should be optimized to boost their vehicle carrying capacity.
Any construction activity that can be curtailed or reduced should be adjusted accordingly. Wherever possible, construction zone speed limits should be returned to the normal speed limit for that section of highway.

2) Be visible, but resist the temptation to chase, stop, and ticket.
Instead, be ready to instantly respond to any emergency. All remaining enforcement activity should be focused on persons that are interfering with the normal flow of traffic. This includes drivers who are blocking traffic while lounging in the passing lane or driving recklessly.

3) Contract with towing companies charged with the responsibility to remove disabled and accident involved vehicles as quickly as possible.
The towing to the nearest exit or parking area should be without charge. This can easily be accomplished by using the funds previously allocated to overtime pay for extra patrol officers focused on ticketing.

4) Publicize and, if necessary, subsidize “safe ride home” programs for persons who have over-celebrated the holiday.
Save the moralizing for another venue and focus on getting people home safely.

In other words change the emphasis from “threaten, enforce, punish, and penalize” to “accommodate, assist, guide, and educate.”

Then we’ll see the holiday travel fatality numbers move in the right direction, downward.

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  1. 4 Responses to “How To Reduce Holiday Traffic Fatalities”

  2. By Andrea Bsse on Aug 5, 2008

    A Speeding driver killed my husband. Speeders should slow down and recieve tickets . The good news to you is If you kill someone speeding you will probably get off easily. The bad news those speeders are still out there and they will kill your children..Think about how you would feel . Hope everyone else is having a good day my life is ruined and im a careful driver always have been

  3. By George on Dec 4, 2007

    It is actually like we want the traffic to flow, and we all know that flow=safety.

  4. By steve on Nov 29, 2007

    The Albo fees are not preventing accidents.
    Did they count the incident where the driver who ran from police, then drove at trooper and he shot him in the 16?
    21,000 tickets should show them drivers do not like the too low speed laws.

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