Car accidents on the rise

Auto-related accidents in the CNMI escalated in the first half of this year, increasing by 7.43 percent compared to numbers from last year; fatalities recorded have already matched the number recorded for the entire 2003, Department of Public Safety records show.

Statistics provided by the DPS Traffic Section indicate that a total of 1,662 auto-related crashes were reported between January and June this year—an increase of 115 cases compared to the same period last year, which posted 1,547 accidents.

The number is on pace to surpass last year’s total of 3,168 cases.

Also, the DPS recorded a total of seven deaths as a result of auto-related accidents, matching the number recorded for the entire 12-month period last year.

Of the 1,662 incidents, 298 occurred in March, the highest among the other months of the period. It is also 35 cases more than the numbers posted in March 2003, and 232 more than that recorded in 2002. The lowest number of accidents occurred in January, which featured 245 crashes. Based on year-to-year comparisons, January this year posted the lowest number of crashes, compared to January 2003, which featured 286 vehicle accidents.

The other months indicate an increase compared to the same period last year.

Traffic officers responded to 258 auto crashes in February, an increase of 29 cases compared to 2003’s 229 incidents and 58 more compared to 2002, which had 200 cases.

Numbers continued to rise in April, which featured 297 accidents, an increase of 54 cases to that of 2003. DPS recorded 156 incidents during the same month in 2002.

An increase of 28 cases was also recorded in May this year, with 292 incidents compared to the 264 in 2003, while numbers in June rose by 10 cases, from 262 in 2003 to 272 in 2004. In 2002, a total of 176 cases were recorded in May, while 194 were reported in June.

The statistics also indicated that last year, a total of 378 patients under the age of 22 years old were involved in the crashes, while 1,126 patients were between the ages of 22-56 years. The age group featuring the most patients was 56 and above, which had a total number of 1,249 patients, resulting in a total of 4,081 patients in 2003.

Of the over 4,000 victims, 691 were treated then released at the Commonwealth Health Center emergency room, while 212 were admitted.

Also, a total of 120 patients were treated in cases involving a vehicle and a pedestrian, while patients involved in vehicles running off roadways reached a total of 37.

Statistics also reveal that there were a total of 193 DUI offenses in 2003, 31 of which involved juveniles below 16 years of age to 20. Statistics also revealed that a total of 8,720 traffic infractions were recorded in 2003.

Medical costs due to motor vehicle-related injuries in the United States was $21 billion in 2000, and in 2001, motor vehicle-related deaths reached 40,000.