Source: The Washington Examiner, 2011

A recent Washington Examiner article revealed data that shows most auto accident fatalities on the Capital Beltway over the last three years occurred in the same three stretches of roadway. In a given year, upwards of 3000 car accidents occur on the highway (approximately 8 per day), and an average of 18 people are killed each year on the Beltway. However, it’s apparent that most car accident fatalities are linked to three portions of the road: between Ritchie-Marlboro Road and Central Avenue in Prince George’s County, near the intersection between I-95 and the Beltway in Maryland, and in the last nine miles of highway spanning Fairfax and Alexandria, Virginia as you approach the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

The west side of the Beltway, from where I-95 intersects in the north to where it intersects again in the south has only seen eight fatalities in the last three years, compared to the much more deadly eastern side of the roadway. Interestingly, it’s the eastern side of the highway that is marked by more curves and hills. AAA spokesman John Townsend explained to the Examiner that accidents are actually more prevalent in straighter, flatter portions of roads, where drivers are more likely to speed up and take risks.

Also interesting was the Examiner’s finding that weather had no impact on deadly accidents on the Beltway. Ninety-one percent of fatal accidents in the last three years occurred during clear weather.

Another finding was that while the number of accidents overall has dropped, fatalities and injuries have remained more or less steady, and actually increased by 50% between 2008 and 2009.

All of these findings are a reminder that driving on the Beltway and in and around the Washington, D.C. Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan areas can be a dangerous business. The Barrera Law Firm encourages you to drive safely, and if you or a loved one is injured or killed in an accident, please contact a lawyer today.