Madison County crashes increase

By Jane DeGeorge
Eagle Reporter
Published: August 7, 2008

Motor vehicle accidents in Madison County jumped by almost a quarter from 2006 to 2007 – they went up 21 percent. The number of people killed or injured in a traffic crash also increased during that same period, according to statistics recently released by the Division of Motor Vehicles.

“Our traffic calls have increased,” Madison County Sheriff Erik Weaver told The Eagle.

This past year, Madison County also experienced increases in alcohol-related accidents, according to the release.

The bulk of traffic crashes in the county have been due to drivers not paying attention and animal-related accidents, according to the sheriff. With an increase in the deer population in the area, these animals often seem to “jump out right in front of you” on county roads, Weaver said.

So far this year, sheriff’s office deputies have been involved in four separate accidents that involved animals on the roads, he said.

The sheriff advises that in the event a driver approaches an animal in the road last minute, he or she would be better suited hitting the animal rather than swerving to avoid it. Often those who swerve end up hitting a tree, fence or an embankment, causing more extensive damage to their vehicles and themselves, he said.

Although it’s unclear if the number of car accidents will continue to rise, Weaver says his office has noticed that the number of cars on Madison County roads has recently decreased, most likely due to high gas prices, he says.

“There’s probably been a 10-15 percent decrease in traffic after 9 p.m.,” the sheriff said.

Even with fewer cars on the road, three fatal car accidents have already reportedly occurred in the county so far this year.

Statewide, the number of traffic crashes was down four percent from 2006 to 2007, according to a DMV news release. However, the number of people killed or injured in a motor vehicle accident increased by six percent during that same period, the release states.