Here’s Why D.C. Traffic Fatalities Increased Dramatically During 2018

On a Wednesday night in December 2018, a tour bus driver hit and killed two people on Pennsylvania Avenue. The two victims were women visiting the city for the holidays, and one of them was the mayor of Skagway, Alaska.

With 35 traffic fatalities in D.C. in 2018, residents are fed up. The 2018 traffic fatality total reached the 2017 traffic fatality total in October 2018, which proves the exponential increase in accident deaths last year.

Can D.C. Traffic Fatalities Decrease in 2019?

Washington D.C. residents are concerned about the factors that have caused an increase in local traffic accidents. In a letter to the mayor, several D.C. residents gave suggestions to reduce traffic accidents this year. The suggestions include:

• Banning right turns at red stoplights
• Banning private vehicles from entering certain streets located downtown
• Installing protected cycle track networks
• Building curb extensions at busy crosswalks in commercial areas with heavy pedestrian traffic
• Reducing speed limits
• Developing a long-term system for limiting the size of tour buses and delivery trucks.

Residents believe there are not enough protective measures to keep pedestrians and tourists out of harm’s way. Another complaint is that the District Department of Transportation, or DDOT, only conducts studies and never takes legitimate action on the problems at hand.

D.C. is not willing to see this number increase in 2019. For more information on traffic safety news, follow Regan Zambri Long PLLC on Facebook and Twitter, or visit our website.