Weekends, Mondays bad days for driving
DON’T DRIVE ON MONDAYS, FRIDAYS OR SATURDAYS: That’s according to a new study by Avvo, a Seattle, Wash.,-based legal organization that analyzes the average day and time of fatal vehicle crashes in America. According to its breakdown of 2016 data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), New Mexico is a good place to stay put on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. That’s because on those days, we ranked in the top five states for deadly crashes.
We’re in second place on Mondays, behind Mississippi, with 3.2 fatal wrecks per 100,000 residents.
We’re in third place on Fridays, behind Mississippi and Alabama, again with 3.2 fatal wrecks per 100,000 residents.
And we’re in fourth place on Saturdays, behind Mississippi, Montana and South Carolina, with 3.9 fatal wrecks per 100,000 residents.
Break it down further by time of day, and you just do not want to be on New Mexico roads at 4 p.m. The report says “it has already been established that 4 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. is the deadliest time of day overall — but which states bear the brunt of those fatal hours? When 4 p.m. hit, Wisconsin and New Mexico experienced the highest rate of road fatalities in the country, with 1.7 crash fatalities per 100,000 residents.”
And it got worse as it got later in the Land of Enchantment. Between 7 p.m. and 9:59 p.m. New Mexico is the deadliest state in the country with 4.2 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents.
See the full report at www.avvo.com/ fatal-car-accidents.
WHY THE ATRISCO VISTA SPEED-LIMIT DROP? Liz Osmun emails, “I have no idea who else to contact regarding Atrisco Vista. Why on earth has the speed limit on that road been reduced to 40 mph from the Paseo (del Norte) ‘corner’ to Interstate 40? It makes no sense being that low, and when we follow that silly limit we create traffic jams and folks pass us, even in no-passing zones. The road would be much safer if there were simply a reasonable speed limit all the way.”
The city maintains it has found the safest speed limit.
Johnny Chandler, public information coordinator for the Department of Municipal Development, says officials there understand “that Atrisco Vista is a roadway that does not see a lot of traffic, and the surrounding area appears wide open. Atrisco Vista from I-40 to Paseo Del Norte has recently undergone improvements with additional stripping and signage. Based on the geometry of the roadway and engineering design speed, the previous speed limit was too fast.”
AND WHERE ARE THE VENTURA SPEED LIMIT SIGNS? Bill C. says in an email, “I have noticed that a speed limit sign has disappeared from northbound Ventura, from the Academy Road intersection.
“Prior travel on this route, leaving Layton, was at 25 mph, residential. A sign posting 35 mph about 100 yards north of the Academy intersection was present until sometime recently, maybe three months ago? No sign now until almost .3 miles further north, where the 35 mph preexisting sign continues. My impression of the law is that until reaching the existing sign, 25 mph is still the speed limit. What happened to the (missing) sign?”
Chandler says “the Department of Municipal Development has replaced the 35 mph speed limit sign at the location in question. City ordinance states that the speed limit on roads without a sign is defaulted at 25 mph. If any city of Albuquerque sign is missing for any reason, we encourage all community members to call 311, and the sign will be replaced as soon as possible.”