There aren’t many details yet available from authorities, but West Virginia suffered its third coal-mining death of the year this morning.
A miner — not yet identified — was killed in a hoist car accident at Newtown Energy’s Eagle Mine in Kanawha County Boone County, according to Jama Jarrett, spokeswoman for the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training. A second miner was also injured, but there was no immediate word on his condition. Two other miners were also injured, one with minor shoulder and facial injuries and the other with minor head injuries, Jarrett said.
This is the 14th coal-mining death nationwide so far in 2009. It is the first since former United Mine Workers safety director Joe Main was confirmed last week as President Obama’s assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.
Taking a quick look, the Eagle Mine is an underground operation that listed more than 200 workers and about 600,000 tons of production through the first three quarters of 2009, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Since opening in 2000, the Eagle Mine has consistently recorded an injury rate far worse than the national average — as much as three times higher — according to MSHA’s data. Last year, the operation was among those warned by MSHA to clean up its act or face tougher enforcement action for a “pattern of violations.”
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Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
One Killed, Two Injured in Boone County Mine Accident
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training reports that West Virginia has suffered its third coal mining fatality of the year.
Agency spokeswoman Jama Jarrett says 53-year-old Charles Dixon of Fayette County was killed at about 7 a.m. Tuesday morning at Newtown Energy's Eagle Mine in Boone County. He had 25 years mining experien with six being at this mine in Comfort.
Two others, Daniel Ewing and Dave Morgan, were also injured in the accident and have been transported to a hospital -- one with facial injuries and the other with minor head injuries.
Jarrett says the accident involved a hoist car.
"Instead of elevator shafts, some mines, such as this one, have slope entrances and use cars to transport workers. These cars run on tracks and are operated by a hoist system," said Jarrett.
A news release from the mine states, "Dixon, affectionately called "Big Charlie" by his co-workers, was killed in a hoisting accident at Newtown Energy, Inc.'s, Eagle No. 1 Mine near Winifrede, Kanawha County, West Virginia. Mr. Dixon, a Fayette County man, was an experienced and trained miner, and worked as a trackman since 2003 at Newtown Energy, Inc. Mr. Dixon was 53 years old and first obtained his miner's card in 1981."
The mine employs about 220 people and produces about 1 million tons of coal a year.
"We are deeply saddened by this loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Dixon's family right now", said Bob Ellis, Newtown Energy, Inc.'s President.
Ellis says this was the first fatality at a Newtown Energy Inc. mine.
According to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration's Web site, Tuesday's fatality would be the nation's 14th coal mining death this year.
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Agency spokeswoman Jama Jarrett says 53-year-old Charles Dixon of Fayette County was killed at about 7 a.m. Tuesday morning at Newtown Energy's Eagle Mine in Boone County. He had 25 years mining experien with six being at this mine in Comfort.
Two others, Daniel Ewing and Dave Morgan, were also injured in the accident and have been transported to a hospital -- one with facial injuries and the other with minor head injuries.
Jarrett says the accident involved a hoist car.
"Instead of elevator shafts, some mines, such as this one, have slope entrances and use cars to transport workers. These cars run on tracks and are operated by a hoist system," said Jarrett.
A news release from the mine states, "Dixon, affectionately called "Big Charlie" by his co-workers, was killed in a hoisting accident at Newtown Energy, Inc.'s, Eagle No. 1 Mine near Winifrede, Kanawha County, West Virginia. Mr. Dixon, a Fayette County man, was an experienced and trained miner, and worked as a trackman since 2003 at Newtown Energy, Inc. Mr. Dixon was 53 years old and first obtained his miner's card in 1981."
The mine employs about 220 people and produces about 1 million tons of coal a year.
"We are deeply saddened by this loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Dixon's family right now", said Bob Ellis, Newtown Energy, Inc.'s President.
Ellis says this was the first fatality at a Newtown Energy Inc. mine.
According to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration's Web site, Tuesday's fatality would be the nation's 14th coal mining death this year.
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Austell woman killed in Virginia wreck
A 69-year-old Austell woman was killed Tuesday afternoon in a three-car accident in Virgina, according to police.Virginia Bolton was killed in Henry County, Va., a rural county outside of Martinsville, according to Sgt. Robert Carpentieri with Virginia State Police. Bolton was the passenger in a 1994 Ford Taurus driven by Virginia Loggins of Stuart, Va.The Taurus collided with a Chevrolet pickup shortly before 3 p.m. Loggins was cited with failure to yield, according to police. Another vehicle, a 2003 Mitsubishi, was also involved in the accident.
Bolton was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the accident.
All three drivers were treated for injuries at a local hospital.
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Bolton was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the accident.
All three drivers were treated for injuries at a local hospital.
Source
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Texting Increases Risk Of Auto Accidents
According to a report released on Tuesday, text messaging while driving increases the risk of an auto accident even more than talking on a cell phone while driving.
The study, which was conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), found that texting while driving increased the risk of an accident by more than 23 times.
"Text messaging on a cell phone was associated with the highest risk of all cell phone related tasks," says the VTTI. "The tasks that draw the driver's eyes away from the forward roadway were those with the highest risk."
The VTTI also found that text messaging leads drivers eyes to be off the road an average of 4.6 seconds over a six-second interval.
"This equates to a driver traveling the length of a football field (100 yards) at 55 miles per hour without looking at the roadway," the study said.
"Talking/listening to a cell phone allowed drivers to maintain eyes on the road and were not associated with an increased safety risk to nearly the same degree," it said.
According to the study, the risk of a crash, or near crash, for a driver in a light car while dialing on a cell phone was 2.8 times higher than a normal non-distracted driver.
The chance of an auto-accident was 1.3 times higher when talking on a cell phone, and 1.4 times higher when reaching for an object in the vehicle.
The risk of an accident in heavy vehicles was 5.9 times higher when dialing a phone, 6.7 times higher when reaching for something, but only 1.0 times higher when talking on a cell phone.
Accident risk was 23.2 times higher for truck drivers when texting.
To gather data for the report, the VTTI used cameras and instrumentation to observe truck drivers, and light vehicle drivers over more than six million miles.
"These results show conclusively that a real key to significantly improving safety is keeping your eyes on the road," the VTTI said in the report.
The study is also requesting that text messaging be banned in moving vehicles for drivers.
Currently, texting while driving is banned in 14 US states.
According to information reported by The New York Times, the federal agency commissioned to keep roadways safe concealed research seven years ago that explained the dangers of using cell phones while driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did so because it feared the study would anger members of Congress.
The study, conducted by the NHTSA in 2002, found that 955 people were killed during 240,000 traffic accidents caused by driving and using a cell phone.
Source
The study, which was conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), found that texting while driving increased the risk of an accident by more than 23 times.
"Text messaging on a cell phone was associated with the highest risk of all cell phone related tasks," says the VTTI. "The tasks that draw the driver's eyes away from the forward roadway were those with the highest risk."
The VTTI also found that text messaging leads drivers eyes to be off the road an average of 4.6 seconds over a six-second interval.
"This equates to a driver traveling the length of a football field (100 yards) at 55 miles per hour without looking at the roadway," the study said.
"Talking/listening to a cell phone allowed drivers to maintain eyes on the road and were not associated with an increased safety risk to nearly the same degree," it said.
According to the study, the risk of a crash, or near crash, for a driver in a light car while dialing on a cell phone was 2.8 times higher than a normal non-distracted driver.
The chance of an auto-accident was 1.3 times higher when talking on a cell phone, and 1.4 times higher when reaching for an object in the vehicle.
The risk of an accident in heavy vehicles was 5.9 times higher when dialing a phone, 6.7 times higher when reaching for something, but only 1.0 times higher when talking on a cell phone.
Accident risk was 23.2 times higher for truck drivers when texting.
To gather data for the report, the VTTI used cameras and instrumentation to observe truck drivers, and light vehicle drivers over more than six million miles.
"These results show conclusively that a real key to significantly improving safety is keeping your eyes on the road," the VTTI said in the report.
The study is also requesting that text messaging be banned in moving vehicles for drivers.
Currently, texting while driving is banned in 14 US states.
According to information reported by The New York Times, the federal agency commissioned to keep roadways safe concealed research seven years ago that explained the dangers of using cell phones while driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did so because it feared the study would anger members of Congress.
The study, conducted by the NHTSA in 2002, found that 955 people were killed during 240,000 traffic accidents caused by driving and using a cell phone.
Source
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Accident backing-up traffic on southbound U.S. 395 near Virginia Street
Traffic is slow on U.S. 395 southbound near the Kietzke Lane/S. Virginia St. off-ramp in Reno as highway patrol officers have responded to the scene of a two-vehicle, non-injury crash, said Trooper Chuck Allen, Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman.
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The crash involving a school bus occurred about 3 p.m., Allen said. No passengers were on board the bus, he said.
The crash had been blocking traffic on the far-left and middle lanes.
A vehicle believed to have caused the crash fled the scene and officers are investigating, Allen said.
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The crash involving a school bus occurred about 3 p.m., Allen said. No passengers were on board the bus, he said.
The crash had been blocking traffic on the far-left and middle lanes.
A vehicle believed to have caused the crash fled the scene and officers are investigating, Allen said.
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Thursday, October 15, 2009
Cell Phone Related Car Accidents Rise
Those talking on a cell phone while driving cause up to 20 per cent of all car accidents in Serbia, according to the Serbian Traffic Police.
The use of cell phones in cars will be regulated by new legislation, the Law on Safety in Traffic, which is to come into force on December 10, national broadcaster Radio Television Serbia, RTS, reported Monday.
Traffic laws dealing with the use of cell phones while driving, were adopted five years ago in EU countries.
Some EU member states allow drivers to talk on the phone through hands-free devices. The use of cell phones by drivers is totally forbidden in Portugal and Spain.
RTS reports that hands-free devices are not selling as well as expected, but that sales are expected to pick up in autumn along with the adoption of the new law.
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institut, has completed a national study on cell phone use and driving distractions that adds to the mounting body of evidence that driving while dialling, talking or texting is dangerous, if not deadly.
The survey shows that if you text while driving you are 23 times more likely to have an accident, while the risk of accidents when speaking on the phone is six times greater.
Under the new Serbian law, punishments for using a cell phone during a ride will be over €60 if drivers are caught on the spot. The higher fines (€90-250) and imprisonment (5-10 days) might be imposed where a driver is involved in a cell phone related accident.
Serbian Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjic has said that many recent car accidents in Serbia were caused through the poor state of the country's roads. The minister added that over €600 million will be doled out for road maintenance, in order to improve safety on highways and regional and local roads across the country.
Source
The use of cell phones in cars will be regulated by new legislation, the Law on Safety in Traffic, which is to come into force on December 10, national broadcaster Radio Television Serbia, RTS, reported Monday.
Traffic laws dealing with the use of cell phones while driving, were adopted five years ago in EU countries.
Some EU member states allow drivers to talk on the phone through hands-free devices. The use of cell phones by drivers is totally forbidden in Portugal and Spain.
RTS reports that hands-free devices are not selling as well as expected, but that sales are expected to pick up in autumn along with the adoption of the new law.
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institut, has completed a national study on cell phone use and driving distractions that adds to the mounting body of evidence that driving while dialling, talking or texting is dangerous, if not deadly.
The survey shows that if you text while driving you are 23 times more likely to have an accident, while the risk of accidents when speaking on the phone is six times greater.
Under the new Serbian law, punishments for using a cell phone during a ride will be over €60 if drivers are caught on the spot. The higher fines (€90-250) and imprisonment (5-10 days) might be imposed where a driver is involved in a cell phone related accident.
Serbian Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjic has said that many recent car accidents in Serbia were caused through the poor state of the country's roads. The minister added that over €600 million will be doled out for road maintenance, in order to improve safety on highways and regional and local roads across the country.
Source
Monday, September 28, 2009
Texting-driving accidents jump
Andrew and Jenna Stratmeyer, like many young people, do their share of text-messaging - just not when they're behind the wheel of a car.
That's because the siblings from Hartford have seen - and felt - the damage that can be done by a driver distracted by a cell phone.
The two were injured in July 2007 in a four-car crash on Highway 38. Jeffery Vierick, who was 17 at the time, was checking text messages when he rear-ended Jenna Stratmeyer's Chevy Cavalier with his Dodge pickup near Buffalo Ridge. He was cited for careless driving.
Stories such as that of the Stratmeyers are becoming more common. The number of accidents in South Dakota that authorities blame on drivers who are distracted by cell phone use has jumped 60 percent in the four years since the Department of Highway Safety began collecting such data.
In 2004, the number of accidents tied to cell phone use was 82. By 2008, it had reached 138.
But those numbers don't tell the whole story, officials say. For an officer responding to an accident to identify cell phone use as a contributing factor, the driver who used the phone usually must report it, Sioux Falls Police Chief Doug Barthel said.
"It's difficult to say how accurate those numbers can be," Barthel said. "Unless there's admission, there's no way to know."
While eyewitnesses might say a driver was using a cell phone, such allegations are difficult to prove unless that driver's cell phone records are subpoenaed.
And because the department rarely would do that, Barthel said, the reported number of cell phone-related accidents probably is lower than the actual number.
Andrew Stratmeyer, 20, was driving his sister's car when the accident happened. It took a year for him to recover from two chipped vertebrae. Jenna Stratmeyer, 23, couldn't work for four months and endured months of physical therapy in her recovery from broken ribs, hip damage and bleeding in her lungs and brain.
Andrew Stratmeyer said he sometimes talks on his cell phone while he drives, but he never checks text messages. The accident caused his sister to rethink text messaging, too.
Source
That's because the siblings from Hartford have seen - and felt - the damage that can be done by a driver distracted by a cell phone.
The two were injured in July 2007 in a four-car crash on Highway 38. Jeffery Vierick, who was 17 at the time, was checking text messages when he rear-ended Jenna Stratmeyer's Chevy Cavalier with his Dodge pickup near Buffalo Ridge. He was cited for careless driving.
Stories such as that of the Stratmeyers are becoming more common. The number of accidents in South Dakota that authorities blame on drivers who are distracted by cell phone use has jumped 60 percent in the four years since the Department of Highway Safety began collecting such data.
In 2004, the number of accidents tied to cell phone use was 82. By 2008, it had reached 138.
But those numbers don't tell the whole story, officials say. For an officer responding to an accident to identify cell phone use as a contributing factor, the driver who used the phone usually must report it, Sioux Falls Police Chief Doug Barthel said.
"It's difficult to say how accurate those numbers can be," Barthel said. "Unless there's admission, there's no way to know."
While eyewitnesses might say a driver was using a cell phone, such allegations are difficult to prove unless that driver's cell phone records are subpoenaed.
And because the department rarely would do that, Barthel said, the reported number of cell phone-related accidents probably is lower than the actual number.
Andrew Stratmeyer, 20, was driving his sister's car when the accident happened. It took a year for him to recover from two chipped vertebrae. Jenna Stratmeyer, 23, couldn't work for four months and endured months of physical therapy in her recovery from broken ribs, hip damage and bleeding in her lungs and brain.
Andrew Stratmeyer said he sometimes talks on his cell phone while he drives, but he never checks text messages. The accident caused his sister to rethink text messaging, too.
Source
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Orange Line Train Kills Man in Another Case Of Apparent Suicide
A man was struck and killed Wednesday morning by a Metro train entering the West Falls Church-VT/UVA station, at least the fifth time a person has intentionally stepped in front of a train since the beginning of June, a Metro official said.
"It's highly unusual," spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.
The six-car Orange Line train was headed in the direction of New Carrollton when the incident happened at 11:18 a.m.
Metro identified the victim as Sangjin Lee, 45, of Arlington County. Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is investigating.
Corine Hagan, who lives in Haymarket, was on the first car of the train that hit the man Wednesday. She said that the train was about halfway from the end of the platform when she heard a loud thud and that the train stopped immediately.
"You just never hear anything like that," she said. "It sounded like a large bird hitting the train."
Hagan said two transit workers in the lead car immediately told passengers to clear out.
Trains traveling in both directions shared a track for nearly three hours, but regular service resumed at 2 p.m., Metro said. Transit Police, aided by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, cordoned off a platform during that time.
The apparent suicide was another frustrating situation for Metro, which is under heightened scrutiny after the June 22 Red Line crash, which killed nine people and injured 80, and other incidents this summer.
On Sunday night, Metro spotter Michael Nash was struck and killed by maintenance equipment on an Orange Line track between the Dunn Loring-Merrifield and Vienna/Fairfax-GMU stations, not far from Wednesday's accident.
This was the sixth apparent suicide in which a person was struck by a Metro train since March, Farbstein said. A man struck by a Red Line train on July 25 survived.
"There's not really much the system can do about that kind of accident," said Arlington resident Fernando Pena, 35, before boarding an Orange Line train at the Court House Station.
Passenger Terriesa Jones, 42, of Upper Marlboro was puzzled by the recent spate of Metro incidents. "For the Metro not to have any incidents for 20 years, it makes me wonder if some sabotage is going on," Jones said, "because everything seems to be going wacko all of a sudden."
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"It's highly unusual," spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.
The six-car Orange Line train was headed in the direction of New Carrollton when the incident happened at 11:18 a.m.
Metro identified the victim as Sangjin Lee, 45, of Arlington County. Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is investigating.
Corine Hagan, who lives in Haymarket, was on the first car of the train that hit the man Wednesday. She said that the train was about halfway from the end of the platform when she heard a loud thud and that the train stopped immediately.
"You just never hear anything like that," she said. "It sounded like a large bird hitting the train."
Hagan said two transit workers in the lead car immediately told passengers to clear out.
Trains traveling in both directions shared a track for nearly three hours, but regular service resumed at 2 p.m., Metro said. Transit Police, aided by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, cordoned off a platform during that time.
The apparent suicide was another frustrating situation for Metro, which is under heightened scrutiny after the June 22 Red Line crash, which killed nine people and injured 80, and other incidents this summer.
On Sunday night, Metro spotter Michael Nash was struck and killed by maintenance equipment on an Orange Line track between the Dunn Loring-Merrifield and Vienna/Fairfax-GMU stations, not far from Wednesday's accident.
This was the sixth apparent suicide in which a person was struck by a Metro train since March, Farbstein said. A man struck by a Red Line train on July 25 survived.
"There's not really much the system can do about that kind of accident," said Arlington resident Fernando Pena, 35, before boarding an Orange Line train at the Court House Station.
Passenger Terriesa Jones, 42, of Upper Marlboro was puzzled by the recent spate of Metro incidents. "For the Metro not to have any incidents for 20 years, it makes me wonder if some sabotage is going on," Jones said, "because everything seems to be going wacko all of a sudden."
Source
Monday, August 24, 2009
Crash kills two in Nathalie
A deadly Halifax County car crash occurring Monday, June 22, on Virginia 645 has killed two men and orphaned two young children in the Nathalie area.
1st Sgt. J.N. Lane of the Virginia State Police said that Joseph Paul Dickerson, 34, of South Boston, and Acie Lewis Francis, 32, of Nathalie, were ejected from a 2004 Ford Explorer when it crossed into the path of a 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood on Virginia 645 at 8:40 p.m. Monday night. The Explorer flipped several times when the two cars sideswiped each other.
1st Sgt. J.N. Lane of the Virginia State Police said that Joseph Paul Dickerson, 34, of South Boston, and Acie Lewis Francis, 32, of Nathalie, were ejected from a 2004 Ford Explorer when it crossed into the path of a 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood on Virginia 645 at 8:40 p.m. Monday night. The Explorer flipped several times when the two cars sideswiped each other.
Dickerson was pronounced dead at the scene and Francis was transported to Halifax Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Neither was wearing seatbelts, Lane said. A third passenger in the Explorer was treated and released from Halifax Regional Hospital and the four passengers in the Cadillac (wearing seatbelts) only suffered minor injuries.
When Virginia State Trooper S.M. Krantz arrived at the scene of the double fatal wreck at dusk on Monday night, he said he saw a 2004 Ford Explorer resting on its right side in the middle of Virginia 645. The Explorer's windshield was a cracked spider web and the side glass of the car was destroyed.
A 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood sitting off the right shoulder had its driver side damaged and dented.
No charges have been filed and police are continuing to investigate the accident.
When Virginia State Trooper S.M. Krantz arrived at the scene of the double fatal wreck at dusk on Monday night, he said he saw a 2004 Ford Explorer resting on its right side in the middle of Virginia 645. The Explorer's windshield was a cracked spider web and the side glass of the car was destroyed.
A 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood sitting off the right shoulder had its driver side damaged and dented.
No charges have been filed and police are continuing to investigate the accident.
Henderson Funeral Home in Brookneal is handling Dickerson's arrangements. His graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 26, at Wickliffe Cemetery by the Rev. Mike Ferrell. The family will receive friends at the home of his parents, Rufus and Alsie Dickerson, Reke Owen Street, Brookneal.
Powell Funeral Home in South Boston is handling Francis' arrangements. His funeral will be held Friday, June 26, 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Republican Grove.
The accident comes as a severe blow to Dickerson's two young children who lost their mother in December.
"What can you say, they're devastated," said Sherrie Lloyd, the children's maternal grandmother. "They haven't gotten over their mother's death yet. They only have us. We're going to do the best we can for them."
The children's mother, Misty Lloyd Dickerson, died in her sleep last December. Paul and Misty were separated at the time of her death. Misty was the Lloyds' only child.
"It brought everybody closer together," Lloyd said. "We've just tried to keep everything as normal as possible for the children. She's missed very much. Every day."
Now, following their father's death, 8-year-old Dane and 11-year-old Haley live with the Lloyds, who have full custody. Dane plays first base on his baseball team. Both children love the outdoors and swimming.
"They've always been good children," Lloyd said. "Misty was raised the same way. She was always a very good child, good teenager and everybody loved her."
The Lloyds have not told Dane and Haley all of the details of their father's death.
"We always try to protect them from the bad things, whatever it is," she said.
Powell Funeral Home in South Boston is handling Francis' arrangements. His funeral will be held Friday, June 26, 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Republican Grove.
The accident comes as a severe blow to Dickerson's two young children who lost their mother in December.
"What can you say, they're devastated," said Sherrie Lloyd, the children's maternal grandmother. "They haven't gotten over their mother's death yet. They only have us. We're going to do the best we can for them."
The children's mother, Misty Lloyd Dickerson, died in her sleep last December. Paul and Misty were separated at the time of her death. Misty was the Lloyds' only child.
"It brought everybody closer together," Lloyd said. "We've just tried to keep everything as normal as possible for the children. She's missed very much. Every day."
Now, following their father's death, 8-year-old Dane and 11-year-old Haley live with the Lloyds, who have full custody. Dane plays first base on his baseball team. Both children love the outdoors and swimming.
"They've always been good children," Lloyd said. "Misty was raised the same way. She was always a very good child, good teenager and everybody loved her."
The Lloyds have not told Dane and Haley all of the details of their father's death.
"We always try to protect them from the bad things, whatever it is," she said.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Virginia State Police Step Up Patrols In Louisa County
It was just weeks ago when a car collided with a dump truck on U.S. 15 in Louisa County. That was just one of two traffic deaths in that area in the past few months.
"I think it is a dangerous stretch of road. If you're not familiar with it, it has a lot of rolling hills, it's straight. At night time it looks narrow," said Virginia State Police trooper Ben Farmer.
Police say since December there have been more than thirty accidents in the area. That's unusually high for a short amount of time.
"In my experience in the year that I've been here, I've never seen this many accidents on any stretch of highway," said Farmer.
Police say it's because of increased volume as the area continues to develop. Hoping to send a message to drivers, state police stepped up patrols along 15 in Louisa County and a small stretch of Interstate 64.
"We do these operations to let drivers know that we are out here. If we catch you speeding you're going to get a ticket," said Farmer.
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Farmer says it's trying, knowing many of these accidents could have been avoided.
"It is really frustrating for us for the speed limit to be 55 and you've got people doing 70, 75, 80 and above."
But police are hopeful the message will sink in, and drivers slow down.
"I think it is a dangerous stretch of road. If you're not familiar with it, it has a lot of rolling hills, it's straight. At night time it looks narrow," said Virginia State Police trooper Ben Farmer.
Police say since December there have been more than thirty accidents in the area. That's unusually high for a short amount of time.
"In my experience in the year that I've been here, I've never seen this many accidents on any stretch of highway," said Farmer.
Police say it's because of increased volume as the area continues to develop. Hoping to send a message to drivers, state police stepped up patrols along 15 in Louisa County and a small stretch of Interstate 64.
"We do these operations to let drivers know that we are out here. If we catch you speeding you're going to get a ticket," said Farmer.
Source
Farmer says it's trying, knowing many of these accidents could have been avoided.
"It is really frustrating for us for the speed limit to be 55 and you've got people doing 70, 75, 80 and above."
But police are hopeful the message will sink in, and drivers slow down.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Virginia drivers finding new ways to save money, remain insured
As the current economy forces families to look for ways to trim expenses, AAA Mid-Atlantic reports that many Virginia drivers are reducing auto coverage or raising deductibles.
AAA Insurance, however, warns that having too little or no auto insurance could possibly result in an “even worse situation.”
“We have more uninsured and underinsured drivers on the road right now,” Steve White, insurance counselor for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said in a news release. “Families looking to save money in these tough economic times can find plenty of ways to lower insurance premiums without putting anyone in legal or financial jeopardy.
“Automobile insurance is not just a necessity, but a legal obligation.”
Rachel Schoonover, a local Nationwide agent, said over the last six to eight months she has seen about 20 percent of her customers increase both their auto and homeowners insurance deductibles in an effort to save money, but suggests people look into combining policies as a better way to save.
“There isn’t much of a savings with increasing auto deductions, but combining home and auto coverage can provide a significant savings of up to 25 percent,” she said.
Nationwide has always offered a review of policies to customers, but Schoonover said now more and more people are taking advantage of it.
Bob Thompson, owner of Thompson Insurance Services in Chatham, said that people changing their auto insurance is just a “sign of the times.”
“I have always pushed for higher deductibles,” he said Wednesday. “It’s a good financial decision in all insurance. I call it ‘self-insurance’ where you insure the first $500 to $1,000 and you assume part of the risk.”
Thompson said he started seeing customers last year and even before then combining their auto and homeowners policies as they looked for ways to save money.
He also recommends that people review their policies for other cost-reducing changes.
“For example, a couple with three cars might be paying for a rental reimbursement, but if they have the extra car, they don’t need that,” he said. “There are also seven or eight different discounts people can get on their auto policies if they will apply for them.”
Besides asking about discounts and increasing the deductibles, AAA also recommends checking your mileage and seeing if a less-than-average mileage might qualify for a lower rate; shopping around and comparing rates at different companies, although least expensive doesn’t insure the best service; and adjust-ing coverage on older cars.
AAA also says to keep in mind if you have a loan on your vehicle, you probably won’t be able to drop your collision or comprehensive coverage. Also make sure that you can afford the costs of replacing a car if you drop coverage.
In Virginia, drivers who do not have insurance must pay a $500 Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle Department Web site. Payment of the fee does not provide insurance but simply allows a person to drive a car at their own risk; it expires with the vehicle’s registra-tion.
The DMV is provided with electronic updates from insurance companies when a motorist’s insurance coverage changes or is cancelled. Substantial penalties and fees are applicable if a driver does not have insurance and hasn’t paid the Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee.
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AAA Insurance, however, warns that having too little or no auto insurance could possibly result in an “even worse situation.”
“We have more uninsured and underinsured drivers on the road right now,” Steve White, insurance counselor for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said in a news release. “Families looking to save money in these tough economic times can find plenty of ways to lower insurance premiums without putting anyone in legal or financial jeopardy.
“Automobile insurance is not just a necessity, but a legal obligation.”
Rachel Schoonover, a local Nationwide agent, said over the last six to eight months she has seen about 20 percent of her customers increase both their auto and homeowners insurance deductibles in an effort to save money, but suggests people look into combining policies as a better way to save.
“There isn’t much of a savings with increasing auto deductions, but combining home and auto coverage can provide a significant savings of up to 25 percent,” she said.
Nationwide has always offered a review of policies to customers, but Schoonover said now more and more people are taking advantage of it.
Bob Thompson, owner of Thompson Insurance Services in Chatham, said that people changing their auto insurance is just a “sign of the times.”
“I have always pushed for higher deductibles,” he said Wednesday. “It’s a good financial decision in all insurance. I call it ‘self-insurance’ where you insure the first $500 to $1,000 and you assume part of the risk.”
Thompson said he started seeing customers last year and even before then combining their auto and homeowners policies as they looked for ways to save money.
He also recommends that people review their policies for other cost-reducing changes.
“For example, a couple with three cars might be paying for a rental reimbursement, but if they have the extra car, they don’t need that,” he said. “There are also seven or eight different discounts people can get on their auto policies if they will apply for them.”
Besides asking about discounts and increasing the deductibles, AAA also recommends checking your mileage and seeing if a less-than-average mileage might qualify for a lower rate; shopping around and comparing rates at different companies, although least expensive doesn’t insure the best service; and adjust-ing coverage on older cars.
AAA also says to keep in mind if you have a loan on your vehicle, you probably won’t be able to drop your collision or comprehensive coverage. Also make sure that you can afford the costs of replacing a car if you drop coverage.
In Virginia, drivers who do not have insurance must pay a $500 Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle Department Web site. Payment of the fee does not provide insurance but simply allows a person to drive a car at their own risk; it expires with the vehicle’s registra-tion.
The DMV is provided with electronic updates from insurance companies when a motorist’s insurance coverage changes or is cancelled. Substantial penalties and fees are applicable if a driver does not have insurance and hasn’t paid the Uninsured Motor Vehicle fee.
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