What’s measured This section examines motor-vehicle accidents in 2001 and 2005. It looks at the total number of people in motor-vehicle accidents as well as whether the accidents involved a fatality, non-fatal injuries, or property damage only. Data are from the Highway Safety Research Center at UNC Chapel Hill and the South Carolina Department of Public Safety. Why it’s measured One element of public safety is to be safe traveling to work, school or any destination. The personal and societal costs of a traffic accident can be staggering — from a loss of life to permanent disability — and even accidents that only cause property damage have costs in terms of stress, inconvenience, and the possibility of lost time from work, as well as the costs of repairs. Indicator results In 2005, the total number of people involved in motor-vehicle accidents in the region was 156,047. This was a 2.7 percent decrease from 160,453 in 2001. People in accidents involving non-fatal injuries or property damage only also decreased between 2001 and 2005: the non-fatal injury category decreased from 65,471 to 61,758; the property damage only category decreased from 94,289 to 93,589. The number of people in fatal accidents increased 1 percent, from 693 to 700. Among the counties, Mecklenburg had by far the highest number of people in motor-vehicle accidents of all types (69,393 total people) in 2005. Catawba County had the second-highest numbers for the all-accidents category and for non-fatal injury and property damage only categories (11,600 total people in accidents in 2005), but was seventh in people in fatal accidents (42), behind Mecklenburg (195), Rowan (72), Union (59), Lincoln (54) and Cabarrus and Gaston (45 each). The largest percentage decrease in the all-accidents category between 2001 and 2005 occurred in Chester County (18.2 percent decline), with Mecklenburg reporting the second largest decline (12.0 percent). Iredell County experienced the largest percentage increase in the all-accidents category between 2001 and 2005 (51.0 percent), followed by Union County (17.5 percent). Given that the property damage only and non-fatal injury categories make up by far the largest shares of total people in motor-vehicle accidents, trends in those categories tend to mirror the overall accident indicator results. Caution should be exercised in interpreting the rates of change in the fatal accidents category, as the number of people in fatal accidents is relatively small and small changes in those numbers result in large percentage changes. Evaluation Considering the region’s rapid population growth and increasing number of vehicles on the roads, the decrease in people involved in total motor vehicle accidents in the region is impressive. Given the variation among counties in rate of change in property damage only and non-fatal injury categories, future reports should further investigate underlying causes. Are counties with increased figures experiencing increases in vehicle-miles traveled, or worsening road conditions, or both, or are other factors involved? Are the improvements in some counties’ figures the result of infrastructure improvements, changes in travel patterns or in policing strategies, etc.? Connections There are obvious connections between traffic-related accidents and the transportation theme area’s measurements of traffic congestion. The overall mortality rates reported on in the health theme area are affected by this indicator’s fatal accidents category. And finally, the personal and societal costs of a traffic accident can be staggering — from a loss of life to permanent disability.
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