RICHMOND - As overall crash fatalities in the area rise, the Staunton region also reports a startling increase in the number of people killed in crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle, according to preliminary statistics from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
As of December 31, 2022, 33 people were killed as a result of crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle in the Staunton region, compared to 11 in 2021. This is an increase of 200%. Law enforcement officers completing crash reports often indicate the "top driver actions" contributing to the crash. In these crashes, the majority of those contributing actions were attributed to a driver of a car, rather than the driver of the commercial vehicle.
"Drivers of cars and other passenger vehicles must remember to respect the size and limitations of large commercial vehicles such as tractor trailers. These trucks simply can't stop as quickly as a car can and they have big blindspots you should avoid," said Acting DMV Commissioner Linda Ford, the Governor's Highway Safety Representative. "Never cut into a truck's safe following distance and always make sure to signal your intentions early so the truck driver knows where you are headed next."
The chart below lists preliminary crash statistics for the Staunton region as of December 31. DMV's Staunton region encompasses the cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester, and the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Bath, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Greene, Highland, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Page, Rappahannock, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren.
DMV also notes increases in crash deaths among motorcyclists and unrestrained motorists, as well as fatalities in crashes involving alcohol and speed, locally so far this year. Throughout the Commonwealth in 2022, 996 people died in crashes, a 3% increase compared to 2021. (Please note these statistics are preliminary.)
Editor's Note: Fully customizable data is available through TREDS.