VIRGINIA BEACH — They cause headaches, traffic jams, bodily injury and sometimes even death. Traffic accidents are as much a fact of life in Hampton Roads as they are in any other metropolitan area.
A Southside Daily analysis of vehicle crash data from the Commonwealth’s Traffic Records Electronic Data System determined the 15 roads with the most crashes in 2017 so far in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.
Note: this analysis is based on the overall number of crashes on each road, not a measurable rate (i.e., crashes per mile of road/vehicle mile). Additionally, crashes at intersections are counted as being involved on both roads.
For a text version of the map’s information ranking, click here.
The 2013 Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study, the most recent comprehensive assessment of crash trends, found that 14 of the top 25 most dangerous sections of freeway in the region were located on interstates 64 or 264 in Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Unsurprisingly, these two main arteries top the list of 2017 crashes by far with 449 and 423 crashes, respectively.
As for surface roads, Virginia Beach Boulevard has seen the most so far with 279, followed by Independence Boulevard (271), Princess Anne Road (238) and Lynnhaven Parkway (198).
All of the roads on this list see high traffic on a daily basis and most are especially lengthy. The number of cars on a road, however, does not necessarily correspond with the number of crashes it sees. In Norfolk, for instance, the most highly trafficked section of Hampton Boulevard between ODU and Little Creek Road, saw an average of 31,000 vehicles a day, according to 2016 VDOT data. That road, which is only about six miles long, has seen 95 crashes so far.
In contrast, 79,000 vehicles passed down the most trafficked section of Independence Boulevard, which has seen the fourth most crashes. The stretch of I-264 between Newtown Road and Witchduck Road saw 105,000 vehicles a day. It ranks second on the list.
In Virginia Beach, the most trafficked section of Great Neck Road saw an average of 37,000 vehicles per day. Despite stretching slightly less than six miles, it’s seen 111 crashes making it the tenth most dangerous road.
Traffic engineers are quick to note that the total number of crashes on a road is not an accurate way to measure overall safety. They use calculated crash rates such as the EPDO — Equivalent Property Damage Only — which factors in the total number of vehicle miles driven on a road annually and the severity of the crashes that happen on it. Accidents resulting in injuries are weighted three times more than those that don’t; fatalities are weighted 12 times more.
Although rural areas tend to have a higher rate of fatal crashes, suburban areas tend to see more crashes in general as they see significantly higher traffic from people who commute through them.
Almost a third of crashes between 2010 and 2012 analyzed by the safety study were caused by one driver following too closely. Failure to maintain control of the vehicle and not having the right of way each made up a little over 15 percent of crash causes.
Although it may seem like rush hour would be the most dangerous time to drive, the congestion that drivers so despise also has an effect on the kinds of crashes that happen.
“The severity of those accidents aren’t as bad as, say, the middle of the night when someone might be under the influence of something or traveling at higher speeds,” said Dwayne Cook, VDOT regional operations director of the Eastern Region.
Cook also explained that part of the I-64/264 interchange project underway now includes building additional lanes to move from one interstate to the other. The added capacity will prevent some of the congestion and slow-down that drivers experience now.
The safety study notes that Hampton Roads’ overall crash rate is about the same as other similar metropolitan areas including Northern Virginia and Richmond.
