Subject: Re: Accident Data: Available by location?

From: [email-masked] ()
Date: Sat, 01 Jul 1995 22:38:53 GMT

[email-masked] (xopher) wrote:

>Certain spots on certain roads have lots of crashes due to road design, 
>traffic conditions, etc. If data was available to the public on common crash 
>locations, drivers could be extra cautious there. For example, there is an 
>oddly setup curve/intersection on the north end of the Lehigh River bridge 
>on PA 145 outside Walnutport, PA which has so many serious accidents that 
>I'm scared someone will screw up & hit me whenever I go thru it. There is a 
>dirt strip which would probably have have grass, but it serves as a parking 
>spot for emergency vehicles. The bridge is crumbling & will be rebuilt soon, 
>and installing a traffic light now might put too much stress on it if lots 
>of vehicles were lined up there. No signs are there to warn of the hazard.

>Anyone know what kind of government agencies would keep data on spots like 
>this?

All states are required by the federal gvt to maintain extensive
records of all accidents anywhere in the state.  I believe all states
are doing the recordkeeping by their State Highway or Transportation
Department, Usually they would have a Traffic Section that keeps the
records.  As to whether these records are publicly available is
another question.  I'm sure it varies by state.  The states are also
required to spend a certain amount of money each year on safety
improvements at high accident locations which are located by the
accident records.  Since everyone is lawsuit crazy, most states will
try and keep the info non-public so they don't get sued by someone
claiming "you knew this was a high accident location but you didn't
spend $25 million dollars to rebuld the road and bridge".

I've been invovled in several lawsuits where some braindead driver was
driving WAY too fast for conditions and after killing several people
thinks it's the states fault for not warning him not to drive 70mph on
bald tires in a rainstorm while falling asleep at the wheel after 8
hours of steady driving.