VDOT data: Dinwiddie has the highest number of traffic deaths in the Tri-Cities
DINWIDDIE - The county's rural roads were a main driver in traffic-related crash fatalities over a five year period, according to statistics from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
This report analyzed VDOT data from 2016 to 2020 in search of the county's most dangerous intersections and roads. After compiling reports on Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell, it became clear that the counties stand out when it comes to traffic-related deaths.
More: VDOT data: Most dangerous Hopewell intersections, city sees most crashes resulting in injuries
More: By the stats: Petersburg's five most dangerous roads and intersections
More: Traffic Stats: What areas of Colonial Heights experience the most car accidents?
Dinwiddie had the most traffic fatalities in the Tri-Cities at 41. Prince George was second at 27 and Petersburg third with 21. An overwhelming majority (70%) of those deaths in Dinwiddie happened on rural roads. The extra 30% of traffic-related deaths happened on the interstate.
Over half of the drivers killed weren't wearing a seatbelt (23). Slightly less drivers (22) were driving with excessive speed while alcohol was involved in at 12 of the accidents. These numbers include accidents where multiple causes were present.
There was no incident where alcohol alone was the only cause in someone's death. Drunk driving fatalities always included either excessive speed, a driver without a seatbelt or both. Seven of the 41 fatalities had none of these reasons present.
Dinwiddie saw the second highest number of total accidents (2,352) in the Tri-Cities, after Petersburg (3,867).
Though Dinwiddie had the highest number of fatalities, the county came in at the lower end for the percent of accidents that lead to injuries. Just under 30% of the accidents in Dinwiddie led to injuries. Hopewell was the highest in the area with 74%, while the second highest was Petersburg at 45%.
Alcohol was only involved in 5% of the county's total number of accidents. Speed was a factor in 25% and distraction was involved in around 18%. About 52% of the county's total accidents didn't include any of these three reasons.
Young and old drivers were nearly even when it came to the overall number of crashes per age group. Teen drivers (15-19) were involved in 328 total accidents while mature drivers (65+) were involved in 322 total accidents.
Accidents across the country were fairly evenly spread throughout the county. Compared to traffic statistics in cities, there were fewer problems roads and intersections with high-numbers of accidents year over year. Some spots however, did still stand out. The list below shows spots that had the highest frequency and severity of traffic accidents.
Ferndale Road intersection with River Road
This three-way intersection crosses River Road with Ferndale Road at a stop sign. The area is surrounded by several homes and a turnoff into Chesdin Animal Hospital. This one intersection saw the county's highest percentage of accidents resulting in injuries (47%). The overall number of accidents however was on the lower end of this list at 17 total crashes across the five years. The intersection recorded zero accidents in 2020.
Boydton Plank Road near Cox Road
Boydton Plank Road - the section of U.S. Route 1 that passes through Dinwiddie - is responsible for the remaining three problems areas. Boydton Plank Road on it's own could be considered the most accident heavy road in the entire county. As far as specific spots, there are a few areas to look out for.
Route 1's intersection with Cox Road saw an increased number of total car crashes at 21 total accidents. Just under one-third of those accidents resulted in injuries. This intersection also saw no accidents in 2020.
Boydton Plank near Ritchie Avenue
This interchange has a four-way stoplight where drivers are exiting Interstate 85 while other drivers travel south toward Dewitt. This four-way stop had the second highest total number of accidents compared to any other area in the county. The overall number of injuries however, was significantly lower than the county average at 23%. The intersection did record one death over the five years.
Boydton Plank intersection with Airport Street
Boydton Plant intersects with Airport street at a three-way stoplight. Airport Street's divided four lanes add some complexity to the intersection. This area was accident heavy for Dinwiddie County, at 31 total accidents from 2016-2020. The percent of accidents resulting in injuries however was below the county average, at 29%.
You can reach Sean Jones at sjones@progress-index.com. Follow him at @SeanJones_PI. Follow The Progress-Index on Twitter at @ProgressIndex.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: VDOT Data: Dinwiddie has most traffic deaths the in Tri-Cities
