NHTS notes downward trend in fatal accidents

In early July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its forecast for the first quarter of this year, estimating that 8,650 people will die in traffic crashes nationwide in the first three months of 2024.

This year’s figure represents a 3.2% decrease from the same period last year, when 8,935 people died in crashes, according to the NHTSA. The decline in fatal crashes marks the eighth consecutive quarter of declines since 2022.

According to NHTSA data, the number of fatalities decreased despite an increase in vehicle mileage.

So far this year, Virginia has bucked a downward trend in fatalities. NTSHA reported that statewide road fatalities increased slightly from 196 in the first quarter of last year to 199 this quarter.

While fatal accidents have been declining, the nonprofit transportation research group TRIP said in a report released in early July that the country’s road conditions are not necessarily good.

On the positive side, after two years (2020 and 2021) in which fatal crashes spiked despite reduced traffic volume, TRIP reports that fatal crashes have decreased in 2022 and 2023, a unique anomaly during the COVID pandemic.

TRIP also noted that while fatal accidents have been declining in recent years, the number remains 25 percent higher than it was a decade ago.

According to TRIP, in 2011, there were 32,749 road fatalities nationwide, the lowest level since 30,246 in 1949. By 2018, the number of fatalities had risen to 36,835. Road fatality and death rates began to increase in March 2020, when pandemic restrictions began.

According to the TRIP report, there were 39,007 road fatalities nationwide in 2020. A year later, that figure jumped to 43,230 and 42,514 in 2022. Last year, there were 40,990 road fatalities.

Work on replacing the bridge in Caroline County is scheduled to begin in early August.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, work on the South River Road Bridge across the South River is scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 5.

Plans for the $3.8 million project would build a longer bridge than the current 81-foot-long, 28-foot-wide bridge, which was built in 1973.

The new bridge will also be 28 feet wide, but will be extended to 110 feet.

The project is expected to take a year, and South River Road will be closed at the bridge, with detours in place until work is completed.