By the Numbers: Traffic Crashes

At times, oddly enough, driving a 3,000 to 5,000-pound vehicle can feel like an automatic or mindless activity that many of us take for granted. And despite the recent snowstorm, where we documented 56 non-injury and three injury crashes within 36 hours, road conditions are not within the top three contributing factors for reported traffic crashes.

Injury and non-injury traffic crashes slightly increased in Lawrence in 2024. Many things can affect the number of crashes that we see in town each year. Changes in driving behaviors, like the expanding use of rideshare services for late-night crowds, can cause a decrease. Redesigning high-crash intersections, such as 23rd and Haskell Avenue, can also help. Then, there are times we get more than a foot of snow dumped on the city, and we’re just going to see more crashes.

So, although several factors influence the number and severity of crashes that occur each year, LKPD also tracks the reasons, which have remained consistent in recent years.

In the past four years, the same three factors have been listed on accident reports:

• Inattention
• Failure to Yield the Right of Way
• Following Too Closely

Please don’t forget that a moment of inattention, daydreaming, or checking your social media feed can result in a deadly crash for you or someone else. Drive safe.