Most traffic fatality drivers wore no safety restraints
By Susan Nienow CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This crash at the intersection of Iron Bridge Road and Country Manor Lane last September claimed the life of one woman when she lost control of her vehicle and struck a utility pole.

Fatal traffic crashes took 21 lives last year. That's below the national average of 14 fatalities per 100,000 residents, but it's still too many.

"We could reduce a number of fatalities if people would just wear a seatbelt," said Capt. Robert Skowron of the Chesterfield County Police Department. Twelve of the fatalities were not using safety restraints.

Alcohol was a contributing factor in seven of the crashes with speed being an issue in three. Speed doesn't just mean driving faster than the speed limit. Going too fast for conditions is also speeding.

Twelve of the crashes happened because the driver ran off the road. The reasons for that include speeding and not paying attention to the road.

Three of the crashes involved pedestrians crossing a highway not at an intersection. Two were failures to yield the right of way, three occurred because the driver crossed into the opposite lane of travel and one was caused by red light running.

The crashes were in different locations with Jefferson Davis Highway having three and Hull Street Road having four.

Advice for new drivers

Teenagers are often involved in crashes due to inexperience and overconfidence. Skowron's advice to young people is to pay attention. Don't use the cell phone or talk to passengers - just drive. Teens don't realize how quickly they can lose control of their vehicles when they look away to adjust the radio or use their cell phones.

"There is one positive thing. Alcohol-related crashes involving teens are down, as are teen fatalities involving alcohol. DUIs involving teens are down, as are teen driver fatalities involving alcohol." Skowron credits the Come Home Alive program in the high schools. Made possible by a grant from Allstate Insurance, the program has reached 4,500 students and families.

Also having significant impact is a program taught by the school resource officers using "fatal vision" goggles that simulate what a drunk driver sees.

Skowron recommends that parents of new drivers insist they wear seat belts and don't use their cell phones.