Traffic Fatalities in RI Rise 18% in 2016, Reports Insurers

Friday, May 05, 2017

GoLocalProv News Team

Traffic Fatalities in RI Rise 18% in 2016

Traffic fatalities in Rhode Island jumped went up almost 18 percent in 2016, according to research done by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). This estimate means that 2016 was the deadliest year on the roads since 2007.

The 18 percent jump is almost triple the 6 percent national increase estimated by the National Safety Council.

“Even though enhanced safety technologies have made automobiles safer for passengers, auto accidents and the costs associated with those crashes are rising sharply in Rhode Island and across the country. Not only are we seeing more crashes, but the vehicles involved are becoming much more costly to repair. This combination of increasing auto accident frequency and higher costs associated with accidents could put upward pressure on auto insurance costs in Rhode Island. That’s why it is critical that motorists, legislators and policy makers focus on strategies to reduce accident frequency including cracking down on distracted driving, fixing urban roads in poor condition, promoting decongestion options like increased use of public transit, and supporting sophisticated crash-avoidance technology,” said Frank O’Brien, Vice President of State Government Relations for PCI.

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PCI has examined state and national trends, and according to the 2014 NAIC Auto Insurance Database Report, Rhode Island ranks 7th highest in the country for average liability premiums and 3rd highest in the nation for average collision premiums.

Contributing Factors

Possible reasons for Rhode Island’s growing number of accidents and injuries, leading to higher insured losses, include:

42% more miles traveled in congested urban areas than national average.
43% of roads are in poor condition, the 2nd highest in the country.
12th highest expenditure for road maintenance in the country.
23% higher in collision repair costs from 2013 to 2016 than neighboring states.

Unsafe driving behavior:

45% of traffic fatalities in the state are related to speeding.
43% of traffic fatalities in the state are alcohol related with BAC of 0.08% or more.
Young drivers aged 16 to 20 represent about 5% of the licensed drivers, yet 10% of all fatal crashes.

O’Brien adds, “whether it’s making a quick call or firing off a text, in that short lapse of focus, all too often we can cause, or fail to avoid, a crash. Despite the Rhode Island State Police more than doubling the number of citations written for texting while driving, the ubiquitous use of smartphones continues to put everyone on the road at risk. We believe our roads can be made safer by working together to avoid unsafe driving behaviors and enacting sound distracted driving and other laws proven to increase highway safety. Together, these steps can make our roads safer, contain costs and save lives.”