2001 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts

NHTSA · 2002 · ROSA P / Virginia. Dept. of Motor Vehicles

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Summary

The *2001 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts* report, published by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles in collaboration with the State Police and Department of Transportation, provides a comprehensive statistical analysis of traffic safety in Virginia for the year 2001. The document aims to identify problem areas, support education, and guide community activities by detailing crash frequencies, fatalities, injuries, and contributing factors across the state. The report aggregates data from police reports and medical examiner records to analyze 144,585 reportable traffic crashes. Key metrics include total crashes, fatalities (deaths within 30 days), injuries, and alcohol-related incidents. The analysis covers statewide trends, monthly variations, and specific breakdowns by jurisdiction (DMV districts, counties, cities, and towns), vehicle type, driver demographics, and crash circumstances such as time of day, weather, and driver behavior. In 2001, Virginia recorded 935 fatalities and 80,187 injuries, representing slight increases of 0.54% and 0.48%, respectively, from 2000. Total crashes rose by 2.07%. Despite these increases in absolute numbers, the death rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled decreased by 6.90% to 1.08, attributed to an 8.10% increase in estimated vehicle miles traveled (86.97 billion miles). Alcohol played a significant role in severe crashes: 358 fatalities and 8,211 injuries were alcohol-related. Among drivers involved in fatal crashes, 14.9% were drinking, compared to 7.6% in all crashes. Speeding was also prevalent, with thousands of drivers exceeding speed limits or safe speeds. Fatal crashes peaked between 10:00 P.M. and 11:59 P.M., while personal injury crashes were most frequent during evening rush hours (5:00 P.M. to 5:59 P.M.). The report highlights significant geographic and demographic disparities. The Richmond District had the highest number of fatalities (220), while the Fairfax District had the lowest death rate per driver (0.08 per 1,000 licensed drivers). Males accounted for the majority of fatalities and injuries across all age groups, with the 21–25 age group experiencing the highest number of driver fatalities. The data underscores the persistent impact of alcohol impairment and speeding on traffic safety, providing a baseline for evaluating highway safety initiatives and enforcement strategies. The document serves as a critical resource for policymakers and safety advocates to target interventions based on empirical evidence of crash patterns and risk factors.

Key finding

Virginia recorded 935 traffic fatalities and 80,187 injuries in 144,585 crashes in 2001, with alcohol-related incidents causing 358 deaths and 8,211 injuries.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• demographic disparities
• fatality injury trends
• sex gender
• vru crash typology

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes