The number of automobile accidents in Elizabethtown resulting in injury or fatality are increasing.  Why are the number of injury related car accidents in Elizabethtown and Hardin County increasing?  In the most recent statistics provided by the Kentucky State Police the number of fatal accidents increased almost 30% and the number of non-fatal serious injury accidents increased by almost 10%.  The I-65 stretch in E-town is considered by many to be one of the deadliest sections of interstate in the State.  Elizabethtown has grown to become a major hub of business activity and a central crossroads between eastern and western Kentucky.

Several major roadways including I-65, the Western Kentucky Parkway, Bluegrass Parkway? and 31W impact traffic rates throughout the area.  Much of the traffic is traveling at high speeds.  As the speed increases, reaction times become much more important.  Travelling at a safer distance is one way to decrease the risk of a car wreck, especially on the interstate.

Cars aren’t the only vehicles on Elizabethtown roads.  When the roads get congested, it becomes much more difficult to see motorcycles.  Motorcyclists are often injured when a car abruptly changes lanes without realizing the bike is in their path.  Distracted driving due to texting and cell phone use results in “drifting” out of one’s lane.  The number of accidents caused by distracted drivers in Elizabethtown and Hardin County is rapidly increasing.

Managing the numerous on ramps and exit ramps is another risk for Elizabethtown drivers.  Deciding when to merge is made more difficult when the driver is trying to enter crowded lanes of traffic.  How many times have we seen cars quickly turn in front of tractor trailers?  We often see cars refusing to yield to large trucks, which are quickly running out of room on those ramps.  As that happens, the potential for more Elizabethtown automobile and truck accidents increases sharply.

While cars and motorcycles can react quickly to changing speeds, tractor trailers require much more room for deceleration.  Rear-end collisions and side impact collisions are occurring with greater frequency.

If you live in E-town, or are simply driving through on the way to Louisville or Nashville, allow extra time to get to your destination, and put your cell phone away.  Providing some extra room to the cars and trucks in front of us will help to reduce the number of automobile accidents in Elizabethtown resulting in injury or loss of life.