What Virginia counties and cities have the most car crashes?
The decisions that you make on the road influence your safety as you drive. You know you need to maintain your vehicle in optimal driving condition and also pay attention to your surroundings while driving. You know to keep your phone out of your hands and to avoid intoxicants before getting behind the wheel.
The route you take is also highly important for your overall safety on the road. When looking at the annual report released by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for 2020, the most recent year with an extensive crash breakdown available, certain trends become obvious when it comes to the location of car crashes that occur.
There are certain municipalities and counties that see a significantly higher number of crashes than other parts of the state. What locations throughout the state are the most dangerous for drivers?
The most dangerous counties
Some counties have as few as a few dozen car crashes annually. Others see thousands of collisions. In 2020, Fairfax County was the most dangerous in the state. It saw 8,735 collisions, 37 of which proved deadly. There were 3733 people injured in those collisions.
The second most dangerous county was Henrico County, which was home to 4,783 crashes, 29 deaths and 2,188 injuries. The third most dangerous county was Chesterfield County, with 4,467 wrecks, 34 human fatalities and over 1,800 people injured.
Prince William County, Loudoun County, Spotsylvania County and Albemarle County all saw significantly elevated rates of collisions as well.
The most dangerous cities
As you can probably guess, the cities with the highest populations were among those with the most crashes, and there is significant overlap with the most dangerous counties in the state. Virginia Beach, Richmond, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, Roanoke, Suffolk and Chesapeake were among the cities that saw the most overall crashes, as well as the highest rates of fatal crashes and injuries after collisions.
Population density, poor urban design and the habits of inhabitants all contribute to the rate at which collisions occur in different municipalities around the state. Tracking crash trends in Virginia could help you avoid a motor vehicle collision or at least reduce your risk of causing a serious wreck.
