Montgomery Road Safety Overview
In 2022, motorists in Alabama traveled over 70 million miles on Alabama roadways. That same year, authorities recorded thousands of motor vehicle accidents, including 988 fatalities. Driving in Alabama can be dangerous, especially on congested, urban roads like those in Montgomery.
Most car accidents in Alabama only cause property damage to vehicles. Unfortunately, even these types of wrecks can mean financial and practical difficulties for you. Rather than blindly hoping you do not become involved in a crash, Montgomery car accident statistics can help you avoid risky situations that lead to them.
How Many Car Accidents Happen In Montgomery?
Montgomery County, Alabama, experienced 9,224 traffic crashes of all types in 2022. Of these, 7,280 occurred at intersections, while the remaining 1,944 occurred away from intersections. This trend is in line with most other counties in the state with an urban center.
Overall, while most crashes occurred on city roads, state and county roads experienced the greatest number of fatal wrecks. Interstates, city streets, and U.S. routes in Alabama were the least likely places to experience a fatal crash in 2022; these road types saw 141, 170, and 172 fatal wrecks, respectively.
Who Is Most at Risk of Fatal Crashes?
Individuals between 21 and 30 were at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal crash. A total of 193 of the state’s 986 traffic deaths were individuals in this age group. Male drivers were involved in 72 percent of all fatal accidents in the state, whereas female drivers accounted for only 27 percent of drivers involved in fatal wrecks.
Males were also more likely to be involved in traffic accidents in general, albeit by a much smaller margin. Male drivers accounted for 50 percent of all drivers involved in any crash, while females accounted for 43 percent.
Top Causes of Montgomery Car Wrecks
Accidents in Montgomery do not just happen. Instead, drivers’ decisions and careless acts create the conditions for severe and fatal wrecks to occur. Some of the deadliest decisions drivers can make include:
Speeding
Driving too fast contributed to 126 fatal crashes in 2022. Exceeding the posted speed limit or going faster than is prudent makes your car difficult to control and increases the damage that you and others sustain when you collide with another car or object.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
Impaired driving was responsible for 97 deadly crashes in 2022. Substances like alcohol, drugs, and prescription medications negatively affect a driver’s ability to perceive dangers on the road and react appropriately to them. Drivers may not observe another car or person on or near the road until after they have hit them.
Failing To Yield the Right of Way
Alabama right-of-way laws tell drivers sharing the same space on the road that they should proceed first. These rules are crucial at intersections, and drivers who forget or ignore them can cause a crash with another driver who is legally proceeding. Right-of-way violations contributed to 86 fatal crashes in Montgomery County.
Montgomery Road Safety Summary
Urban areas like Montgomery and Montgomery County pose a greater overall risk to drivers’ safety than the more rural parts of the state. You are more likely to be involved in a crash driving around Montgomery than you are traveling county roads. While your risk of being involved in a fatal crash is not as high, Montgomery injury car accidents cause difficulties and challenges, too.
Staying safe on the road in Montgomery involves avoiding risky behaviors like speeding and driving while impaired. It is also important to be alert to other drivers who may be doing these things and keep your distance from them.