Collisions in Washington State Paper Example

Introduction

The recorded number of collisions in Washington State has been alarmingly high; the need to establish the causes would lead to the establishment of remedial measures. The current study is based on the question: "What is the major cause of collisions in Washington State?" Providing an answer to this question requires that research is carried out, which would include looking into police records among other records that give statistics on the incidents and their causes. Initially, the research was carried under the illusion that driving under the influence of drugs was the main cause of collisions. However, to benefit people on a larger scale, it is important that the study is brought to a larger perspective. To achieve this, the research question was broadened to help in investigating the entire causes of collision in the Washington State. The research question is also important as it eliminates bias that would limit the study to looking into only one cause of the collision as the main cause.

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Project Objectives

The study's main objective is to establish the major causes of collision so that the government uses the information in taking actions to reduce the increasing number of collisions. Curiosity and compassion to take part in seeking solutions to the increasing number of collisions in the Washington State inspired the current study. The study can also be an important venture to help the government analyze and review some of the vehicle operating laws to enhance their effectiveness. The content and outcome of this study can be a reflection and an analytical tool for lawmakers and law enforcers to help them reduced collisions in the future. The need to adjust the basis of this research is inspired by the fact that the data used in the study were collected from various police records.

Sampling Methodology

Since the study must be based on facts, secondary data from WSDOT, a 2015 annual collision summary from Washington Crash Data and Reporting was used as the main source of information. The document contains important information on collision reports by law enforcement officers from Washington State (The State of Washington 2016). Since the document contains a summary of crash reports and their causes, it was used to collect data that was processed in Microsoft Excel and analyzed to help establish the major cause of the collision in the state. The document was important in establishing issues such as the collision factors, persons involved in the collisions, statewide collisions and the contributing circumstances. The study is based only on secondary data from the collision reports summarized in the WSDOT report. The limitation of this sampling methodology is that it leads to using data that do not reflect the correct collision causes, as one has to wait until WSDOT release the report. For instance, a report for the year 2015 is released in the year 2016 leading to a lag in public access to the data.

Statistical Tools Used

Presentation of the data from the secondary source required the use of a statistical tool to organize the data for analysis. Microsoft Excel was used to present the data in charts. The charts were presented in percentages to make the process of comparison easier. Microsoft Excel was chosen because it is easier to use and can be used in the presentation of data in the charts that can be easily analyzed.

All Data Analysis

The data presented in this section is derived from a 2015 report by the government on the collisions that were reported throughout the year. The data can be used to analyze the cases of collisions in the state today because it is the most recent available report that is published and released to the public. The tables below present the items under research and their values.

Categories of collisions Values

• Fatal Collisions 499
• Injuries Collisions 36531
• Property Damage Collisions 77358
• Unknown Injury Collisions 2665
• Causes of Collision Values
• Speeding Citations 416699
• Cellphone use and Texting Citations 33697
• Drug Influence Citations 26363

Persons Involved in Collisions Values

• Drivers 67016
• Occupants 29649
• Motorcyclists 2208
• Non-motorists 3573
• Pedestrians 2146
• Bicyclists 1427

Fatalities/Injuries Values

• Total Fatalities 551
• Total serious Injuries 1944
• Total Minor Injuries 47078

Presentation of Visual Aids and Graphs

Categories of Collisions in Washington State

According to the chart, 66 percent of the collisions are property damage collisions, 31 percent are injury collisions, 2 percent are unknown injury collisions, and about 1 percent are fatal collisions.

Causes of Collisions in Washington State

The chart above indicates the causes of collisions in Washington State including speeding, cell phone use and driving under the influence of drugs. From the data presented in the chart, 87 percent of collisions are caused by speeding, 7 percent are caused by cell phone use and texting, while the remaining 6 percent are caused by driving under the influence of drugs.

Total Number of people involved in Collisions

The chart presents data that categorizes the road users involved in the collisions to help establish the total number of people involved in such collisions. From the chart, 63 percent of the persons involved in the collisions are drivers, 28 percent are occupants, 2 percent are motorcyclists, 3 percent are non-motorists, 2 percent are pedestrians, and the remaining 1 percent are bicyclists.

The Number of Fatality/Injury Collisions in Washington State

The chart above presents data on the fatalities/injuries during the collisions. From the data presented in the chart, 95 percent of the people who get involved in the collisions sustain minor injuries, 4 percent sustain serious injuries, while the remaining 1 percent sustain fatal injuries.

Summary of the Data Analysis

The categories of collisions as recorded in WSDOT include fatal collisions, injury collisions, property damage collisions, and unknown injury collisions. Most of the collisions that happen lead to damages on people's property including buildings, other motors, and businesses among others. Reported fatal injuries caused by collisions are the highest among the collision categories. The collisions can also be categorized according to their causes. For instance, cell phone use, road use when under the influence of alcohol and other drugs and speeding are the most common causes of collisions. Over speeding or speeding cause the most instances of collisions that cause injuries and fatalities to the road users in Washington State. Drivers may not be under the influence of any drug, but they still speed, highjack other vehicles on the wrong side and violate some of the most common traffic safety rules. Cell phone use and road use under the influence also cause collisions to a noticeable level. The most number of people involved in collisions are the drivers, which is because persons using their personal vehicles cause most of the collisions. Passengers also suffer greatly in collisions in Washington State. Other categories of road user who suffer collisions, though not to a large extent, include pedestrians, bicyclists, non-motorists and motorcyclists.

Conclusion

Understanding the causes of collisions in Washington State is the first and most viable way of understanding the strategies to be put in place to reduce the cases. Research is an important tool to be used in helping the public and the government to understand the gravity of issues such as the increasing cases of Collision in the State. The causes of collisions such as road use under the influence of drugs, speeding, and use of cell phones are the most common, if such causes can be addressed, then collisions can reduce. The government can use its powers and influence to ensure that the causes are managed properly. From the study, it is evident that speeding causes the most number of collisions in Washington State.

Recommendations and Projections Based on the Evaluation of the Data

Some of the recommendations of this research include the intervention by the government, public participation in addressing the major causes of collisions and the use of roadworthy vehicles at all times. The government can use its powers to enforce laws that ensure that people use the roads in Washington State as per the traffic rules requirements (World Health Organization, 2015). These could include more severe punishment on people who over speed or drive when they are under the influence of any drug. Creation of public awareness by the traffic authorities or non-governmental organizations can help people understand the best ways of avoiding collisions as well as the dangers of careless use of the roads.

References

The State of Washington. (2016). 2015 Washington State Annual Collision Summary. Retrieved From https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/crash/pdf/2015_Annual_Collision_Summary.pdf

World Health Organization. (2015). Global status report on road safety 2015. World Health Organization.