Mapping Highway Fatalities
Rob Long ·
December 14, 2011 at 10:48pm
Proof that I'm a data geek: I'm on a road trip cross-country, so this isn't the most cheering news, but transportation research site ITO World (Hat tip: Guardian) has taken US road fatality stats from 2001 to 2009 and mapped them on an interactive, zoomable, map:
It's a searchable, and drill-down-able map, and it's amazing how different it looks as you keep clicking. From a distance, it's just a cluster of purple dots. As you click and zoom, though, the dots get more distinct. Each one tells a story.
What's amazing, as I click along Route 40, from Flagstaff to Oklahoma City, is how many pedestrians are killed on the highway. And how (surprisingly, to me) few motorcyclists are represented.
Be careful out there.
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Comments:
Jul '10
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
As a motorcycle rider who has been in an accident (thanks cellphone technology!) I found this on the web. You might find it interesting.
Aug '10
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
I'm curious how these would change if scaled for exposure. My hunch is that it would make the pedestrian numbers look even worse since you generally don't see that many pedestrians on interstate highways.
Jul '10
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
It's actually funny, but the accident rate on highways is lower than that on rural roads. As it turns out, the speed differential on highways makes for less accidents. I wish I could find the reference...
Jan '11
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
Just sent this to my 16 year old who will soon begin drivers' training. Will have her look at her route to school. Sobering.
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
Rob, if you need advice on good food, good truck stops, good coffee, and of course the inverse, lemme know. And if our paths cross, I'm buying.
Edited on December 15, 2011 at 1:56amSep '11
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
Years ago, when Geographic Information Systems were first being deployed, Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation teamed up with the Pennsylvania State Police to map accidents with serious injuries and/or fatalities in our two-county area. They were startled to discover that two-lane state highways had significantly higher numbers of serious accidents in the abstract--and an even higher accident rate (since those rural highways carried fewer cars and trucks than the interstates).
In retrospect it makes sense--most accidents on limited-access highways happen at on-ramps and off-ramps; both vehicles are going the same direction, at similar speeds. On a two-line highway, there's nothing separating you from an oncoming car but nine inches of asphalt and two paint stripes. If either one of you drifts across that line, you're going to have a massive collision.
As a direct result, Pennsylvania dropped the speed limit on most two-lane highways to 45 mph, and instituted a program to encourage local police departments to enforce the lower limits.
(I just checked--even this data set still shows a higher number of fatalities on rural highways than on the area's limited access highways.)
Sep '11
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
Another thought:
When PennDOT and the state police did their study, I went to the presentation. I asked if they'd mapped not just the location--but the day and time. The GIS guys said, "no." The state police guys said, more or less in unison, "Saturday night."
Dec '10
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
Rob, I-40 goes through more than one rez out on that stretch... you'll see people walking along it with their dog, trying to cross it (with a 75 mph speed limit!)... Beautiful, beautiful country! And wonderful people.
Aug '10
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
Not surprisingly, practically all the fatalities on the SoCal mountain roads I know and love so much are motorcyclists. For instance, Angeles Crest (CA-2). I frequently see them taking corners listing by more than 45 degrees. All it takes is one badly placed pebble...
May '11
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
You just need to know where to look to find the motorcyclist fatailties. There are a couple of good clusters around Sturgis, SD and TN/NC 129 (Tail of the Dragon). Alcohol, testosterone and corners don't mix well.
A (motorcyclist's) got to know his limitations.
Apr '11
Re: Mapping Highway Fatalities
John Murdoch:
As a direct result, Pennsylvania dropped the speed limit on most two-lane highways to 45 mph, and instituted a program to encourage local police departments to enforce the lower limits.
· Dec 14 at 5:41pm
I would bet almost nobody obeys that limit. For the reasons you pointed out, there's good reason to have higher speed limits on divided highways than on two-lane highways, but 45 mph is a law designed to be violated. People who have been driving 55 mph (or more) on a certain road for decades are just not going to start driving 45 mph because a sign tells them to.