PHILIPSBURG--Motorists seemed to be driving more recklessly last year. The 2014 police crime figures show that the number of traffic accidents went up in 2014 compared to 2013, but was lower than 2012, 2011 and 2010.

 

The crime figures in the report are based on figures recorded from January to December 2014 and compared to the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

 

According to the figures, there were 346 traffic collisions in 2014 compared to 316 in 2013, 374 in 2012, 448 in 2011 and 513 in 2010.

A total of 245 of the accidents last year were without injuries, compared to 194 in 2013, 260 in 2012, 232 in 2011 and 325 in 2010.

 

A total of 101 of the accidents in 2014 were with injuries, 116 in 2013, 114 in 2012, 216 in 2011 and 181 in 2010. A total of 102 of the accidents were with minor injuries in 2014, 121 in 2013, 126 in 2012 and 126 in 2010. No figure was mentioned for 2011.

 

Nineteen of the accidents had serious injuries in 2014, 27 in 2013 and 22 in 2012. No figure was mentioned for the other years.

 

There were two road fatalities in 2014, five in 2013 and seven each in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

 

Authorities said in the report that a clear downward trend had been seen in 2014.

 

“This is about the traffic cases attended in recent years. We see a slight increase over the previous year in the total number of collisions, but the number of serious collisions (with light and severe injury or even fatal) continues to fall. The increase in the total number of collisions includes those that happened at the Prins Bernhard Bridge during the time the traffic lights were not functioning. This was the cause of many collisions involving mostly material damage,” the report read.

 

The Daily Herald