Allegheny County
During 1997, Allegheny County suffered a total of 13,925 crashes and a loss of 85 lives. That statistic ranks Allegheny County as number two among the 67 counties in the Commonwealth. It has the highest number of licensed drivers (4.4 million) and the highest number of registered vehicles (4.5 million). Further, Allegheny County maintains the most road miles, that is 5,647, and registers more road miles driven (46 million) than any other county in Pennsylvania.
While the rates per 100,000 of population looks good, the sheer number of lives lost and extent of injuries are significant. Analysis of the crash data shows some significant underlying problems. The county ranks as the number one county for AAlcohol@ related crashes, for example 1,287 in 1997; 5,951 between 1993 and 1997; and resulting deaths of 40 in 1997; 178 between 1993 and 1997.. The 1997 figures also reveal that alcohol crashes in Allegheny County increased by 17.65% from the previous year. Alcohol related crashes reached a five-year high in Allegheny County in 1997, even exceeding the previous benchmark figure of 1,211 in 1994. Allegheny County ranks number one for 1993-1997 for total crashes (24,959), older driver crashes (65+, 9,407), unbelted crashes (10,551) and aggressive driving crashes (35,885).
Overall, from 1993 through 1997, Allegheny County was ranked number two for total pedestrian (3,044), bicycle (1,014) and motorcycle (968) crashes, and number one for heavy truck crashes (2,648). By 1997, the County=s ranking for pedestrian crashes remained at number two, with a total of 628 crashes and 21 fatalities. Other figures for total crashes for different components of traffic safety declined. For bicycle crashes, the County ranked number 15 with 191 crashes and no fatalities. The County ranked number six with 218 total motorcycle crashes and four fatalities. A total of 556 heavy truck crashes were recorded in the County in 1997, resulting in eleven deaths and an overall ranking of fourth in this category, for all Pennsylvania counties.
The human cost of motor vehicle crashes is well documented above. The
economic cost to business is also substantial. Seven out of eight deaths
and more than half of the disabling injuries suffered by workers occur
off the job. One of the most significant factors are off the job motor
vehicle crashes, accounting for 43% of these deaths and 18.4% of the injuries.
The cost of motor vehicle crashes in Allegheny County alone exceed $390,000,000.
These include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative
expenses, motor vehicle and property damage and employer cost.
Current programs and interventions are not effectively meeting the challenge. One of the keys is improving data gathering, analysis and evaluation which can be used to identify priority risks, including behaviors, populations and geographic areas. At present, the Allegheny County Health Department has established relationships with local area hospitals and emergency room departments in order to obtain information regarding the incidence type and frequency of all injuries.
The Allegheny County Health Department suggests that the design and development of a means of electronic data recording, storage and retrieval of a wide variety of crash data would also help with these problems. Data could be obtained through several sources including: Local community, municipal, county and State law enforcement; Insurance companies serving residents of the County; Hospital Emergency Services in Allegheny County; and Fire and EMS Services responding within Allegheny County.
This Amodel@ could serve to assist in the design and development of information collection methodology which would then be utilized throughout the Commonwealth to obtain and analyze crash data. Ideally, the type of crash data to be retrieved will include (but not be limited to):
1. Age, sex of individual(s) involved in crash
2. Physical disposition of individuals involved in crash including
(a) current health status of drivers (prior to crash) - range
(b) sobriety (drugs or alcohol) - extended
(c) extent of injury or incidence of death as a result of crash - extended
3. Weather conditions at time of crash - range
4. Time of day at time of crash - 24hr.
5. Purpose of travel at time of crash (shopping, school, general travel, commute, travel to/from specific event, etc.) - survey
6. Driver(s) history for crashes/traffic violations (recent, 1-5 years) - extended
7. Driver(s) educational background - range
8. Driver(s) economic status - range
9. Driver(s) experience.
10. Number of passengers at time of incident.
11. Type, age, condition and number of vehicles involved - range
12. Type and characteristics of road and location (e.g., intersection), speed limit, etc.
13. External factors (cell phone use, talking, applying makeup, etc.)
In this fashion, specific data which focuses on the Awho@, Awhat@ and Awhere@ of a crash could then lead safety professionals to the Ahow@ and Awhy@ of crashes. Traffic Safety education could then be more specifically fashioned and targeted in order to effect behavior changes. Periodically reviewing this data would also provide a more exact Ameasuring stick@ to evaluate changes in behavior.
In addition, specific data regarding engineering aspects of roadways,
intersections, highway entrance and egress points, safety signs, warning
and stop lights and other safety guides -- in combination with more comprehensive
crash data -- could also provide factors for review in determining solutions
which could include components of safety engineering, modification of statute,
health, safety and driver education.
The goal is to create a sustainable ASafe Driving Coalition@ that will promote injury prevention activities at the local level to solve highway and traffic safety problems of Allegheny County.
Safe Driving Communities Coalition would work to achieve the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration Strategic Goal of reducing highway
fatalities and injuries by 20%. By extension, this goal would be applied
to all traffic fatalities and injuries. Such a quantum leap can only be
accomplished by improving our understanding of how and why traffic crashes
occur. This is acknowledged by NHTSA.
There are many potential stakeholders for promoting traffic safety through a Safe Driving Communities Project. The primary stakeholders are all the citizens of Allegheny County. Examples of institutional stakeholders are:
Allegheny County Health Department ; Insurance providers -- Highmark
Blue Cross/Blue Shield(health); UPMC Health Plan(health); Etna(health);
Allstate(auto); Lierty Mutual; State Farm(auto); Center for Violence &
Injury Prevention (CVIC); Center for Injury Reduction & Control (CIRCL);
West Penn AAA; Western Pennsylvania Safety Council; Business and Industry
- ALCOA, USAir; Law Enforcement - Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association;
Fraternal Order of Police;
Local Law Enforcement Agencies; Emergency Medical Services Institute;
Emergency Medical Services Providers; PA Department of Transportation;
Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania;
Hospitals - UPMC (Trauma Center); Mercy Hospital (Trauma Center)(Burn
Unit); AGH (Trauma Center); Children=s
Hospital (Trauma Center); West Penn (Burn Unit); Non-government organizations:
SADD, MADD; and Western Pennsylvania Automobile Dealers Association