Could Where You Live Increase Your Chances Of Being In An Accident?
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Could living in our area make you more apt to be involved in a car accident? New government data suggests drivers in the northeast are more likely to get into a crash than drivers anywhere else in the country.
Meghan McCorkell has more on the surprising new information.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there is a car crash every 10 seconds here in the US.
You see it on the roads and hear it on the radio: vehicle crashes are happening more often in our area.
According to a CDC report, drivers in the northeast---from Massachusetts down to DC---are all at a higher risk for getting into a wreck.
"We are at too fast of a pace up here," said driver Bethany Swisher. "That's what it is."
Federal officials say congested roads and construction make the area dangerous for drivers. According to the CDC, nationally, 2.5 million people went to the ER after being involved in a vehicle crash in 2012 and 200,000 were hospitalized.
"The young males who just have to zoom ahead and go one lane to the other. That's the deadly stuff," said driver Lawrence Young.
According to the study, distracted driving remains the number one cause of all accidents.
"I see lots of people texting and driving and on their phones and not paying attention," said Lisa Spence.
"We believe one death on roadways in Maryland is one too many," said Sgt. Marc Black.
That's why Maryland State Police have launched initiatives to crack down on aggressive driving, drunk driving and distracted driving.
"We're in control of a two ton vehicle and that vehicle can do a lot of damage if we don't drive it or operate it properly," Black said.
Damage that could result in death.
The Maryland State Police SPIDRE team, which targets drunk drivers, will be out on the roads in full force throughout the holiday season.
According to reports, the cities with the fewest traffic accidents are Fort Collins (Colorado), Brownsville (Texas) and Boise (Idaho).
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