Report - State has 9th highest fatality rate in country

The report, "Getting Home Safely: An Analysis of Highway Safety in Arkansas", was published by TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research group based in Washington, D.C. According to the TRIP report, Arkansas` traffic fatality rate of 2.03 traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel ranks as the ninth highest fatality rate in the nation and is 40 percent higher than the national average of 1.45. Traffic crashes claimed the lives of 3,230 people in Arkansas between 2001 and 2005 GÇô an average of 646 fatalities per year. Rural traffic fatalities account for a disproportionately high share of traffic fatalities. Arkansas` traffic fatality rate on rural non-Interstate roads was 2.94 traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel, compared with the traffic fatality rate of 1.18 on all other roads and highways in the state. Approximately 69 percent of traffic fatalities take place on the state`s rural non-Interstate roads, despite the fact that only 49 percent of all travel in the state occurs on these roads. Several factors contribute to the high rate of traffic fatalities on Arkansas` rural, non- Interstate roads, including inadequate roadway safety design, higher speeds traveled on rural roads and longer emergency response times in rural areas. The report also recommends several safety improvements, including: adding rumble strips on road shoulders and medians, improving signage and pavement/lane markings, installing lighting and guardrails, adding or paving shoulders, adding median barriers, reducing the angle of roadway curves, widening lanes, and adding passing lanes. (Copyright 2006 Newsroom Solutions, LLC) Delivered by Newsroom Solutions/Regional News Service