2006 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts

NHTSA · 2007 · ROSA P / Virginia. Dept. of Motor Vehicles

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Summary

This document, titled *2006 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts*, serves as a comprehensive statistical report published by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Virginia Highway Safety Office. It provides a detailed overview of traffic crash data for the calendar year 2006, intended to assist traffic safety professionals in problem identification, education, and policy development. The report aggregates data from police reports and medical examiner records to analyze crash frequencies, fatalities, injuries, and contributing factors across the state. The methodology involves compiling statewide statistics on reportable traffic crashes, defined as incidents involving death, injury, or property damage exceeding $1,000. The report presents data categorized by time (monthly, hourly, and daily), location (DMV districts, counties, cities, and towns), vehicle type, and driver demographics. It also includes comparative trends from 1997 to 2006 and specific analyses of alcohol-related incidents, speeding violations, and safety restraint usage. Definitions for key metrics, such as "alcohol-related crash" and "death rate," are provided in a glossary to ensure consistency. In 2006, Virginia recorded 151,692 total traffic crashes, a 1.40 percent decrease from 2005. However, fatalities increased by 1.59 percent to 961 deaths, while injuries decreased by 3.52 percent to 73,348. The death rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled rose slightly to 1.19. Alcohol was a significant factor in 11,736 crashes, resulting in 374 fatalities (a 16.15 percent increase from the previous year) and 7,543 injuries. Notably, 46 teenagers aged 15–19 were killed in alcohol-related crashes. Speeding was cited in 17,124 crashes, with drivers exceeding safe speeds in the majority of these incidents. Fatal crashes were most frequent between 10:00 P.M. and 11:59 P.M., and on Saturdays. The data also highlights that 94.2 percent of all crashes involved a driver violating a traffic law, while 64.3 percent of fatal crashes involved such violations. The significance of this report lies in its role as a foundational resource for highway safety planning in Virginia. By identifying high-risk demographics, such as young drivers involved in alcohol-related crashes, and high-risk times and locations, the data supports targeted interventions. The increase in alcohol-related fatalities despite a decrease in total crashes underscores the persistent danger of impaired driving. The report provides granular data down to the county and city level, allowing local jurisdictions to assess their specific safety challenges relative to statewide averages.

Key finding

In 2006, Virginia recorded 961 traffic fatalities and 73,348 injuries across 151,692 reported crashes, with alcohol-related incidents accounting for 374 deaths and 7,543 injuries.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes