by Leah Justice
Polk County topped the AAA’s list of safest counties for not being in a collision in
North Carolina for 2013.
Polk was listed first, with Pasquotank topping the list for best chance of not being in
a fatal crash in 2013, according to AAA’s press release.
For total crashes, Polk was listed the top safest, followed by Haywood, Camden,
Jackson and Swain counties.
For injury crashes, Camden was the safest, followed by Tyrrell, Currituck, Swain and
Perquimans, according to AAA.
For fatal crashes, the safest counties were Pasquotank, Warren, Washington,
Chowan and Tyrell, which all had zero fatalities in 2013.
AAA’s report said that rural counties remain the killing grounds for traffic deaths in
North Carolina, with three people on average dying every day in North Carolina.
Graham, Alleghany, Alexander, Bladen and Vance counties topped AAA’s list of most
dangerous counties for traffic fatalities last year per vehicle mile traveled. Those five
counties combined for 40 traffic deaths, despite having only two percent of the
state’s total vehicle miles traveled, according to AAA.
“We are making progress in reducing traffic deaths in North Carolina and that is a
plus for every motorist, but we need to pay more attention to the traffic death hot
spots like Graham County, one of the most dangerous counties in the nation for
motorcycle crashes,” said David Parsons, CEO and president of AAA Carolinas.
Graham County had 180 crashes and four deaths in 2013.
According to the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT), Polk County had 380
total crashes in 2013, resulting in five fatalities and 156 injuries. From Jan. 1
through the end of May, Polk had 149 total crashes, with two fatalities and 77
injuries, according to the DOT.
Traffic deaths have been declining in North Carolina since 2010, according to AAA,
with 1,162 deaths last year statewide.
“It’s great to see a decrease in road deaths, but it’s still a concern when you consider
that more than three people still die every day on North Carolina roads,” said
Parsons.
North Carolina ranked third nationally in 2012 for most traffic deaths with 844
fatalities. Texas and California were the only states to top North Carolina, according
to federal data. The 2012 data was the latest available, according to AAA.
North Carolina counties with the highest chance of being involved in any kind of
collision in 2013 were Pitt, New Hanover, Vance, Person and Stanly. Pitt County has
been ranked the most dangerous county for having a traffic collision of any type for
the past six years, according to AAA.
North Carolina had a total of 4,572 traffic crashes in 2013 and Pitt County averages
318 crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, according to AAA.
For a crash where someone was injured, Graham, Pitt, New Hanover, Gaston and
Hoke counties were listed as the top five in AAA’s list.
The most dangerous county for a pedestrian collision was Tyrrell County. Although
Tyrrell is the least populous county in the state, there were 86 crashes with injuries
in 2013, according to AAA’s list. The most dangerous for motorcycle crashes was Graham County located on the
North Carolina/Tennessee border.
Graham County has a population of just under 8,700 people but is home to “the tail
of the dragon,” a scenic road of 11 miles with 318 curves, which makes it popular
but dangerous, according to AAA.
For tractor-trailers, Anson County was the most dangerous followed by Gates,
Hertford, Ashe, Cherokee and Northampton, according to AAA’s list.
The deadliest county for highest number of fatal crashes was Mecklenburg with 61
fatal crashes in 2013 compared to 68 fatal crashes in 2012, according to AAA.
The total number of crashes in 2013 statewide was 220,524, up from 213,856 in
2012, according to AAA.
Safest counties in 2013:
Total crashes: Polk, Haywood, Camden, Jackson and Swain
Injury crashes: Camden, Tyrrell, Currituck, Swain and Perquimans
Fatal crashes: Pasquotank, Warren, Washington, Chowan and Tyrrell