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Traffic fatalities numbers climb to 16; last year's total was 22 By JILL BRISKEY Local police aren't sure why so many people have died in traffic-related accidents this year, but one fact remains clear. Compared to 2000 statistics, the number of people killed while traveling along Jackson County roads appears to be on the rise. An unofficial tally shows that 16 traffic-related deaths occurred between January and July 2001, a figure that is quickly climbing toward 2000's total of 22 vehicle-related fatalities. 22 died in 2000 According to information provided by the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, 22 people died in 2000 in traffic-related accidents locally. Four deaths have been attributed to speed, five to impaired driving, one to weather conditions, nine to loss of control and the rest to unknown reasons. Eleven of the people who died in Jackson County last year were not wearing a seatbelt or helmet when the accident took place. In Oregon, 451 traffic-related fatalities occurred in 2000, an average of one death every 19 hours. Also in 2000, 27,503 people were injured along Oregon roadways. Statewide, speed played a factor in 178 of the fatal accidents. Impaired drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol or both accounted for 44 percent of traffic fatalities in the state. In July alone, five people died in four separate vehicle accidents in the Rogue Valley - one on Interstate 5, two on Highway 238, one on Highway 140 and one in Trail after a motorcycle collision. Police say alcohol or drugs played a part in at least five of the 16 fatalities this year. Five accidents have been reportedly linked to excessive speed, while the remaining six appear to be caused by unknown reasons, driver error or loss of control. However, several cases are still under investigation and the cause of many fatalities are still unofficial. Statewide, 204 traffic-related deaths took place between January and June 2001. Early reports do not suggest a pattern regarding the location of each fatality in Jackson County. Three accidents took place along Interstate 5, while two occurred within Medford. One driver died on Highway 99 in Phoenix. Several motorists were killed on rural highways either near small towns or in the country. Traffic Safety Coordinator Greg Halley, of the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, said many of the traffic-related fatalities in 2001 took place during the busy summer months. "That's been our biggest rash here lately," he added. "A lot of people are out driving." Halley said he's not sure why the figures appear to be on the rise, especially when the number of fatalities fell from 27 in 1999 to 22 in 2000. But he does know that accidents involving alcohol almost always involve excess speed. "It tends to come hand-in-hand almost," he said, adding that speed is the No. 1 factor that alerts police officers to intoxicated drivers who are under the influence of either marijuana or alcohol or both. "They get this care-free, let's-go-fast attitude," Halley said. Although he doesn't have the figures yet, Medford Police Lt. Mike Moran said serious traffic-related injuries also appear to be on the rise in 2001. Moran doesn't know why so many motorists have been seriously injured or killed both locally and nationally this year. "Sometimes (the numbers) just spike for no real apparent reason. I've seen that happen over the years," Moran said. "There doesn't seem to be any pattern at all to indicate why they've gone up." Also in Jackson County this year, one pedestrian - a 9-year-old Central Point boy - died in July when he was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 5. A 44-year-old Central Point man died in January following a four-wheel all-terrain accident. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.