The City of Kingston recently commissioned a study about traffic safety along the Schwenk Drive and Clinton Avenue corridors between Washington Avenue and Albany Avenue in Uptown Kingston. Studies like this aim to understand how roadway design can reduce the number of personal injury vehicle accidents, as well as the severity of the accidents.
The study was conducted by HVEA Engineers of Beacon, and covers the period between August 3, 2016 and July 10, 2019. It provides a hyper-local look at car accidents happening right outside of our offices in Uptown Kingston. Here are seven takeaways from the study:
1. The crash rate on Schwenk Drive and Clinton Avenue is 3-6x greater than average
According to the study, Schwenk Drive had a crash rate of 15.94 per one million vehicle miles; three times more than the statewide average of 4.62 per one million for similar roads.
Clinton Avenue had a crash rate of 21.04 per one million vehicle miles, six time greater than the statewide average of 3.54 for two-lane road.
2. There were 26 personal injury crashes on Schwenk Drive and Clinton Avenue
There were 106 total crashes during the study period, including 40 property damage accidents and 40 non-reportable accidents. The most common cause of the accidents was rear-end crashes, followed closely by left-turn crashes.
3. There were 25 crashes at the Schwenk Drive and Washington Avenue intersection.
4. There were 14 crashes at the Schwenk Drive/Frog Alley intersection
5.There were 11 crashes at the Schwenk Drive and Fair Street intersection
According to the report, the confusion at this intersection is caused by Schwenk Drive going from a 2-lane to a 4-lane roadway, with an “outdated” all stop flashing beacon.
6. On average, the daily traffic on Clinton Avenue is 13,000 vehicles
7. The average off-peak vehicle travels at 37 mph (over the city speed limit of 30 mph)
We’ve also analyzed data about car accidents in Ulster and Dutchess County. Some of the takeaways from looking at local data include:
- Being inside of a car is usually the safest place to be in a car accident
- Wearing a seatbelt results in less costly and serious injuries
- Passing and lane violations are the most harmful cause of local accidents
- Alcohol is involved in one of every thirty local car accidents
- Speeding is a factor in 10% of accidents
- Local men tend to suffer more serious injuries in local accidents
Another analysis that we conducted about wrongful death auto accidents in Ulster and Dutchess Counties found that most fatal accidents occur on local, county highways.
If you’ve been injured in a vehicle accident on Clinton Avenue, Schwenk Drive, or Washington Avenue in the City of Kingston, or anywhere in the Hudson Valley, give us a call at 845-600-0000 to get a free personal injury consultation. We can go over your next steps for obtaining the maximum possible compensation.
Read the whole study: https://www.scribd.com/document/487067596/Schwenk-Drive-Clinton-Avenue-Traffic-Study