Traffic fatalities are down significantly in Kansas City

Much has been said about the reduced homicide numbers in 2014, but there’s another markedly lower, historically significant statistic in Kansas City that represents more lives saved: traffic fatalities.

There were 48 in 2014, which is the first time that number has been that low since 1994, which also had 48 traffic deaths. We could only find statistics dating back to 1990, and there was not a lower number during that time. Some of our veteran officers believe this could be the lowest number of fatalities in 50 years. Kansas City usually averages 62 to 63 traffic deaths per year. As with homicides, 48 traffic deaths are still too many, representing 48 families who are grieving. One particularly tragic incident happened at the end of 2014 when two young women and three small children in a car all were killed in a crash with a semi-truck on Interstate 435. Our thoughts and prayers are with those they left behind.

But we are making progress. Thirteen fewer families had to grieve the loss of their loved ones to traffic crashes in Kansas City in 2014 than in 2013. In fact, this marks the second year in a row traffic deaths have fallen substantially. There were 72 in 2012, then 61 in 2013, and 48 in 2014. That’s a 33 percent reduction over a two-year period.

There are many different causes for this reduction, but I think some of it can be attributed to the work of our officers. We wanted to try something different to make an impact, so we added a fifth Traffic Enforcement squad in 2014. Enforcement activity was, therefore, much higher. Patrol Division officers not assigned to Traffic Enforcement also stepped up their issuance of traffic citations. Overall, enforcement activity was up about 20 percent, and fatalities were reduced in equal measure. If there had not been tangible, life-saving results, we would have deployed that additional squad of Traffic Enforcement officers elsewhere. I will continue to watch the correlation between enforcement and reduced fatalities for any indications that we should use our resources in another way, but right now they’re doing exactly what we’d hoped they’d do: save lives.

So how does increased enforcement activity lead to reduced fatalities? Consider the statistics from 2014. Of the 48 people killed, excessive speed was a contributing factor in 24 of their deaths. Alcohol was a factor in 19 fatalities, and drugs in 10 fatalities. Other contributing factors to fatal crashes last year included eight sign/signal violations, three people who failed to yield and two lane violations. These all are things we write citations for. The more people we stop who are travelling at excessive speeds, driving recklessly or are intoxicated, then the fewer dangerous drivers are on the road. We hope that citation modifies the driver’s behavior, encouraging them to obey traffic laws in the future.

Seat belts are another major piece of this, as they always are. Last year, Kansas City passed a primary seat belt law, which allowed officers to stop and cite drivers and passengers not wearing their seat belts. Previously, officers could not stop a vehicle just for a seat belt violation. They could issue that ticket in addition to another citation, but lack of a seat belt could not be the cause of the stop. It can now. Major Jim Pruetting, commander of the Traffic Division, told me his officers issued a lot of seat belt tickets (more than 3,200 more than in 2013), and anecdotally, they’re seeing far more people wearing them.

Of the 48 people killed in crashes in 2014, seven were pedestrians, four were motorcyclists and one was a bicyclist. That leaves 36 who were killed in cars. Twenty-three of them, or 64 percent, were not wearing their seat belts.

Kansas City stands out for its reduction in traffic fatalities. The State of Missouri recorded just three fewer traffic deaths in 2014 compared to 2013, and that drop is thanks to Kansas City. Many other places experienced increased fatality crashes.

But like homicides, there is only so much police can do to affect them. It is incumbent on everyone who operates a motor vehicle in Kansas City to drive safely and obey all traffic laws. This truly is a life-saver.

New technology will assist in serious crash investigations

PRESS RELEASE:

Kansas City Police will be able to clear serious accidents off roadways more quickly thanks to new equipment purchased by the Missouri Department of Transportation in conjunction with KC Scout.

“By the design of this equipment, officers are often able to complete complicated investigations without unnecessarily exposing officers to traffic,” said Rusty James, Incident Management Coordinator for Scout. “By investigating the incidents in this fashion, there is no further traffic backup. This technology is recognized in the courts as highly accurate, resulting in successful prosecutions.”

Scout and MoDOT purchased four Sokkia total stations and two Archer Bluetooth evidence recorders valued at $35,000 for KCPD. This equipment is used to create forensic maps of incident scenes. KCPD’s crash documentation equipment was last updated in 2008, but James said technology has made leaps and bounds since then. The new total stations better protect officers and motorists.

“Kansas City Police investigate more fatality wrecks than anyone in the area, and we want to keep them safe, as well as the drivers around them,” James said.

KCPD investigated 60 fatal crashes in 2011 and 41 so far in 2012.

But the department’s 2008 equipment still works well and would be ideal for smaller law enforcement agencies with lighter accident investigation caseloads. Scout and MoDOT will be distributing KCPD’s current equipment to other police departments who never would have had the opportunity to have such crash documentation technology before.

“The Kansas City Metro Traffic Incident Management Program is being used as a model around the country,” James said. “Our example of what can be accomplished with these partnerships will be used in developing future programs nationwide.”

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Sixteen pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in Kansas City so far this year

An alarming trend has emerged in our traffic fatality statistics so far this year: 16 pedestrians have been struck and killed in Kansas City. That’s a quarter of all our traffic deaths to date in 2011 (63 so far). Just six pedestrians were killed in 2010, which comprised only 9 percent of fatalities last year. And this is just people on foot. We count bicyclists separately.

We often urge drivers to be careful, but now I think it’s important to urge pedestrians to be very aware of traffic around them. Of the 16 pedestrian deaths so far this year, some numbers to consider:

• 4 cases occurred on limited-access highways (highways with entrance and exit ramps), and 2 of those involved persons tending to or exiting from disabled vehicles.

• 8 cases involved pedestrians who were either walking in or along the roadway.

• 6 cases involved people crossing the roadway, and 2 of those persons were within crosswalks.

• 7 cases involved pedestrians who were found to have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Most disturbing, there have been four hit-and-run cases in which a pedestrian was killed and the person who hit them just drove away. Three of these four cases remain unsolved. Without witnesses, it can be very hard to get justice for these victims, so any information you have about any of the following cases would be very helpful:

Kelvin Brown – Age 47, struck at 11:54 p.m. May 13, 2011, by a dark-colored pick-up truck as he crossed Paseo at 44th Street

Debra Johnson – Age 50, struck by an unknown vehicle at 12:16 a.m. August 14, 2011, on E. 10th Street just west of Harrison

Wildrain Wildberry – Age 71, struck by a silver passenger car at 2:09 a.m. on Paseo near 45th Street.

Please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) if you have any information about the hit-and-run crashes that killed these people.

Walking during the day and in well-lit areas, using sidewalks and crosswalks, and avoiding alcohol and drugs are easy ways to protect yourself as a pedestrian. Also, do not walk on highways. Vehicles are traveling at very high speeds and often do not have time to stop if they see a pedestrian. Nearly everyone has a cell phone nowadays, so if your vehicle breaks down, please call for assistance rather than walking somewhere to get it.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Task force identifies solutions to reduce crashes on 152 Highway

PRESS RELEASE:

After months of study, a task force has come up with solutions to reduce crashes in the most accident-prone area of Kansas City.

The Reducing Accidents on Highway 152 Task Force looked at the area of the 152 Corridor from Flintlock Road to Highway 291. Last year, two intersections in this corridor ranked No. 1 (152 and N. Flintlock) and No. 3 (152 and N. Church Road) in the top five crash locations in Kansas City.

The task force, convened by Kansas City Police, included police and city leaders from Kansas City and Liberty, the Liberty School District (school buses travel the corridor 100 times daily), business representatives, the Missouri Department of Transportation and concerned citizens.

“We needed to get the stakeholders in the places affected by this together at one table to identify the problem and look at solutions from every angle,” said Major Rich Lockhart of the Shoal Creek Patrol Division.

Liberty City Councilman Jeff Watt said the work of the task force benefits both Liberty and Kansas City by highlighting the issues faced by drivers in the northeast part of the Kansas City metro area.

“With over 60,000 people living on either side of the highway, everyone benefits in these efforts,” Watt said.

The task force began meeting in March 2011 and learned more than 30,000 vehicles travel the corridor every day. From Jan. 1, 2010, to March 15, 2011, 88 crashes occurred just in the area of N. Flintlock and N. Church. Twenty-five of those crashes involved injuries, and 62 were rear-end collisions.

The report states the solution that will have the greatest effect is the “Flintlock Flyover.” This flyover would take at least 7,500 cars a day from the 152 corridor by diverting traffic from Highway 152 and Flintlock south and crossing over Interstate 35, connecting on the east-side of I-35 near Pleasant Valley Road.

Kansas City Councilman Scott Wagner said the flyover idea had been around before, but it’s received new momentum with the task force’s work.

“MoDOT, Liberty and Kansas City are working together to get that done,” Wagner said. “The task force brought forward why it was needed in the first place and reinforced the reason to move forward.”

Other solutions the task force identified include improvements to the I-35 overpass, improvements to the Highway 291/I-35 interchange, reducing the speed limit on eastbound 152 at Shoal Creek Parkway, rumble strips and more. Click to see the entire report. 

Odd day at Headquarters

A car crashed into Police Headquarters here at 12th and Locust just after noon today. It went through the west garage door on 12th Street. It's a bizarre story, which the Kansas City Star did a good job of summing up. But everyone's OK, and police immediately took into custody the suspect who started the incident. Here are some pictures of the damage.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Commonality in most traffic deaths this year: no seat belts

I wrote a week ago about the increase in traffic deaths this year, and we learned this morning about another disturbing trend. Deputy Chief Cy Ritter reported at our Board of Police Commissioners meeting that 79 percent of those killed in crashes in Kansas City so far this year were not wearing seat belts. As of today, Kansas City has had 39 people killed in vehicle crashes in 2011.

Many were single-vehicle crashes in which the driver lost control and left the roadway. About 17 percent were motorcycles. But the greatest commonality in this year's fatalities is the lack of seat belts. According to the Missouri Division of the Federal Highway Administration, Missouri's overall seat belt usage of 77 percent is well below the national average of 84 percent. Seat belt usage among teens in Missouri is just 61 percent. So far this year, youth aged 10 to 19 have comprised 17 percent of Kansas City's fatalities. About 41 percent of those who have died in crashes this year have been ejected from their vehicles. Ejection is something a seat belt almost always can prevent.

I've only addressed fatalities so far. I haven't even mentioned the egregious injuries that can occur without seat belts - the paralysis, the broken bones and head injuries. There's a 1 in 3 chance of being injured in a traffic crash if you're not wearing a seat belt and only a 1 in 8 chance of being injured if you are, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

Similarly, there is a 1 in 29 chance of being killed in a traffic crash without wearing a seat belt while just a 1 in 1,322 chance if you are wearing a belt. Those are far, far better odds.

It may be cliche, but seat belts really do save lives, and we should be saving more of them here in Kansas City.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

New task force aims to reduce crashes at 152 Highway intersections

PRESS RELEASE:

Liberty resident Richard Brown was driving his car in the area of 152 Highway and North Flintlock Road in Kansas City, North, on Jan. 22, 2011, when his car was involved in an accident.

Brown went through something that’s played out more than 300 times in the past year and is the subject of a new task force formed by the Kansas City Police Department’s Shoal Creek Patrol Division: wrecks on 152 Highway. The Task Force will have its first meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at the Shoal Creek Patrol Station, 6801 NE Pleasant Valley Road, Kansas City, Mo.

The area of 152 Highway between Shoal Creek Parkway and Interstate 35 is consistently in the top 5 crash locations in the city. 152 and North Flintlock ranked as the No. 1 crash spot in 2010, and 152 and North Church Road came in at No. 3.

“We need to work on solutions to this problem,” said Major Rich Lockhart, commander of the Shoal Creek Patrol Division. “Working with key stakeholders will help us identify the root causes of the high number of accidents.”

Lockhart has invited the Missouri Department of Transportation, Kansas City’s Traffic Division, members of the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Liberty Police Department, community members, and Kansas City police officers to meet to work on solutions. The group expects to have a report outlining possible solutions done by early summer.


Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Snow is hard for police cars, too

After a wreck-filled rush hour today, we were again reminded that driving in snow - even a little bit of it - is dangerous. It's often not easy for police, either. This story from our monthly Informant newsletter explains why:

Even emergency first responders get stuck in the snow.

Three major winter storms in one month took a toll on KCPD vehicles and response times and caused the City to declare its first state of emergency since 2002’s ice storm.

From 3 to 11 p.m. on Jan. 19 – the height that day’s snow storm – police took reports of 184 non-injury wrecks and four injury wrecks. They had 13 crews out on highways helping stranded motorists. While it made for a miserable evening commute, the snow helped reduce the potential for serious wrecks.

“When the weather’s that bad, we don’t have serious injury or fatality wrecks because people can’t get up to speed,” said Sergeant Jim Fuller of the Accident Investigation Section.

Response times suffered in the snow, too. On snowless Jan. 31, the median response time for priority 1 calls citywide was about 6.9 minutes. On Feb. 2, after about a foot of snow had fallen, that increased to about 8.2 minutes.

“Getting there safely to help people is what’s most important,” said Major Roger Lewis of the Patrol Bureau.

Oftentimes, citizens calling for police assistance in the snow don’t realize officers may have a more difficult time getting around than they do. The majority of KCPD’s fleet is rear-wheel drive Ford Crown Victorias. The rear-wheel drive is ideally suited for police work most of the year but doesn’t do well in the snow, Fleet Unit Supervisor Darrell Cooper said. Front- and all-wheel drive cars handle better in winter weather but are “a maintenance nightmare,” so KCPD sticks with rear-wheel drive, Cooper said. Police stopped using chains on tires about a decade ago for fear they would spark a fire that could ignite the gas tank.

The Fleet Unit had to tow out 24 police cars during a 24-hour period on Feb. 1, when nearly a foot of snow fell and Kansas City declared a state of emergency. On average, Cooper said the Unit tows less than one car a day. But only two police cars wrecked during the Jan. 31 – Feb. 1 storm – one that hit ice in pursuit of a drunk driver and another that hit a deer.

“The driver’s training at the Academy has really helped out,” Cooper said. “It’s given officers more knowledge on how to drive their car when they get in trouble.”

In the coming weeks, Cooper said he expects to see the aftermath of the snow on police vehicles in the forms of transmission issues and rear differential problems. At present, though, the only thing his shop is doing differently is “replacing an exceptional amount of wiper blades.”


Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Police ask public to walk in non-injury accident reports during storm

PRESS RELEASE:

Kansas City Police urge anyone involved in a minor vehicular crash during today’s severe weather to go to their nearest police station for a report to keep as many officers available for true emergencies as possible.

If your car is still drivable, if no one has been injured and if there is no alcohol involved, police request that you exchange information with any other drivers involved in the crash and get off of the roadway as quickly as possible. You can get a report for insurance purposes at any of the following locations:

• North Patrol Division – 1001 NW Barry Rd.
• Shoal Creek Patrol Division – 6801 NE Pleasant Valley Rd.
• Central Patrol Division – 1200 E. Linwood
• Metro Patrol Division – 7601 Prospect Ave.
• East Patrol Division – 5301 E. 27th St.
• South Patrol Division – 11109 Hickman Mills Dr.
• Police Headquarters – 1125 Locust St.

You have to make the report in person because you must present your identification and valid proof of insurance. You do not have to make the report immediately and can wait until a couple days after the accident.

During the last snow storm on January 19, Kansas City Police responded to 184 non-injury crashes and four injury crashes in an 8-hour period.

Top 20 crash locations of 2010

Our traffic analyst has compiled a list of the highest-crash locations in Kansas City, Mo., in 2010. You can see how it compares to the 2009 list here. You'll note that last year's No. 1 spot - I-435 and I-70, which had 107 crashes, didn't even make the top 20 list this year. Engineering improvements and increased traffic enforcement in the area could be to credit for the change, but more study will be needed. 

Please use additional caution in the areas listed below, the biggest crash locations of the past year (click on the list to see a larger version):

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Drive carefully in the new year

While the number of homicides in Kansas City continues to be very disturbing (we're at 106 this year compared to 110 in 2009 and 126 in 2008), another statistic gets far less press but is equally concerning: the 68 people who have died in fatality crashes in Kansas City this year. That's three more people than died in crashes in 2009, despite intensive efforts by police to stop this trend (DUI and driver's license checkpoints, targeting revoked drivers and much more) and despite the nation overall having the lowest number of traffic deaths since 1954.

An interesting pattern of KC's 2010 traffic fatalities also has emerged: that of a single driver alone in the car losing control of his or her vehicle and crashing. This is the first discernible traffic death pattern we've had since 2008, when we had a large number of motorcycle crashes. Very few of these deaths of single drivers are related to road conditions. Most are the result of impaired or distracted drivers. Due to toxicology tests, it's relatively easier for police to determine whether a driver was drunk or high at the time of the crash. It's harder to figure out if the driver was talking or texting on a cell phone. For your safety and others, please don't do either of these things.

The number of people killed homicides in Kansas City has fallen, but the number of people killed in car crashes is on the rise. Please drive safely this New Year's Eve and into the New Year, and don't become a statistic.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Kansas City's top 20 crash sites of 2009

Last week, our Board of Police Commissioners was presented with Kansas City's 2009 traffic statistics. A particularly interesting one was the top crash locations of the year. They're spread out across the city (and remember, these are only for Kansas City, Mo., proper), but I-435 & I-70 was the clear leader. Please use extra caution when you're in one of the areas mentioned below:

LOCATION	TOTAL CRASHES
1. I-435 & I-70	107
2. I-435 & Front St.	75
3. I-29 & Barry Road	64
4. 75th St. & 71 Highway	63
5. 5th St. & Broadway	61
6. Gregory & 71 Highway	59
7. 152 Highway & Flintlock	56
8. I-435 & Holmes	56
9. I-435 & 23rd St.	56
10. 55th St. & 71 Highway	55
11. Bannister Rd. & 71 Hwy	53
12. I-435 & Wornall	50
13. 71 Hwy & Red Bridge Rd.	47
14. I-35 & Front Street	47
15. I-435 & 87th St.	46
16. I-470 & Blue Ridge	46
17. 155th St. & 71 Highway	46
18. I-35 & I-70	42
19. I-435 & 71 Highway	40
20. I-435 & Bannister Rd.	39

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Update on motorcycle fatalities

Another motorcycle fatality yesterday means we're now at our highest death rate for motorcycle accidents this decade, and the year is just barely half over. I blogged about it last week. Ten people have now died in Kansas City motorcycle crashes.

A 53-year-old Kansas City man crashed at 3:39 p.m. July 21 at 112th St. and North Congress. Investigation revealed that the victim had been southbound on Congress on a motorcycle when the driver of an SUV pulled out eastbound from a stop sign in an attempt to turn left onto northbound Congress. The victim struck the left side of the SUV, and was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries. He died a short time later.

As a motorcycle rider myself, I urge you to please be careful out there.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Deadly year for Kansas City motorcyclists

Nearly one-fourth of Kansas City’s traffic fatalities this year have involved motorcycles – 24 percent, to be exact. This statistic is especially troubling considering that there are 39 passenger cars or trucks for every one motorcycle registered in this state, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue. So why are motorcyclists making up such a disproportionate number of our traffic deaths? That’s a question I wish I had an answer to.

Our latest motorcycle fatality happened just after midnight Tuesday on Southwest Trafficway at Westport Road. A 32-year-old man was found dead in the median after his motorcycle had apparently hit a light pole. His is the ninth Kansas City motorcycle death this year, which puts us on track to have the most motorcycle deaths in a decade. The year 2003 had 10 deaths for the entire year and had been the highest one (see above graph).

Amazingly, all but one of these deceased motorcyclists this year was wearing a helmet. One, however, was wearing a small, skull-cap-type helmet that was not approved by the Department of Transportation. Even with helmets, however, motorcycles are inherently more dangerous than regular vehicles. Per mile traveled in 2006, a motorcyclist was 37 times more likely to die in a crash than persons riding in a passenger car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And in Missouri, 80 percent of motorcycle crashes result in injury or death.

Our traffic investigators have determined the following factors in this year’s motorcycle fatalities so far:

Speed – a factor in five crashes
Car failed to yield to motorcyclist – a factor in two crashes
Motorcyclist’s inattention – a factor in one crash.

Some of these overlap, such as one in which a speeding motorcyclist ran into a car that failed to yield. Not all causes have yet been determined, and results of DUI tests are pending on some.

We urge motorcyclists to please be careful. Your life is at stake. And we urge all drivers to keep an eye out for these motorcycles. You outnumber them 39 to 1. Please go to this link for some great safety tips:

http://www.modot.mo.gov/ExpressLane/Motorcycles.htm

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Why we do sobriety checkpoints

Through May of this year, 79 percent of those killed in Kansas City’s fatality traffic accidents have involved people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. We are still awaiting toxicology reports on several of the June deaths to determine whether alcohol or drugs were involved in those. And if trends follow last year’s, July will have a higher fatality crash rate than any other month of the year.

Despite this, we continue to hear complaints that sobriety checkpoints are a waste of department resources. In advance of a holiday weekend that will feature one, I wanted to clarify some points about our sobriety checkpoint program.

First, these checkpoints are funded exclusively by grants, not by any city dollars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) allocates money to each state for traffic safety programs. In Missouri, that money goes to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Division, which in turn divvies it up to law enforcement agencies around the state specifically for the purpose of conducting DUI checkpoints. KCPD has received grants for 20 DUI checkpoints this year, compared to 14 last year. The rules of these grants stipulate we cannot use this money any other way.

The federal and state governments are so confident in the need for sobriety checkpoints that they not only pay for the overtime of a minimum of 10 officers at each checkpoint, they also provide the police department equipment to use.

Second, checkpoints serve three primary purposes: deterrence, education and arrest. The arrest is really the least of these goals. If people know there is a chance they could be stopped in a sobriety checkpoint, they will be deterred from driving intoxicated. Checkpoints are a very public way to remind drivers to avoid unlawful behavior. Those driving by one person pulled over by an officer don’t know what that person was pulled over for and give little thought to what impact that person’s infraction has on their own actions. But those driving by or through a DUI checkpoint know exactly what’s going on and may be more likely to drive responsibly in the future. This deterrent effect is the primary reason for these checkpoints. Honestly, police would prefer not to arrest anyone for DUI because they want everyone to be driving sober.

So far this year, 79 percent of Kansas City’s traffic deaths have been DUI-related. As a police department, we would be remiss to ignore this problem.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Accident closes Heart of America Bridge

UPDATE: The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the hospital at 2:55 p.m. His name has not yet been released.

Original post:
Police are working a serious accident in the northbound lanes of the Heart of America Bridge. At about 2:04 p.m, a motorcycle was travelling northbound on the Heart of America Bridge when the driver looked down and began to swerve. He lost control of the motorcycle and struck the concrete wall on the right side of the roadway. He was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated for life-threatening injuries. He is believed to be a 38-year-old male.

The bridge is expected to be closed to northbound traffic for approximately two hours.