BUCKLE DOWN ON DRIVING HABITS, BUCKLE UP FOR SAFETY

When the roads are covered with ice and snow, we tend to focus more on careful driving. It's human nature. But only a quarter of the 2,090 street accidents in the city of Cape Girardeau last year occurred during rain or snow.

Many of these accidents occurred not only on dry pavement, but during the daylight hours. Driver inattention was often the blame.

A good way to begin this new year would be a focus on good driving habits. We need to pay more attention when we drive, or practice more defensive driving skills to protect ourselves from distracted drivers.

These accidents don't just impact those involved. They may drive up insurance premiums, medical care and other costs. The Cape Girardeau Police Department calculates the economic loss of these accidents to the community tops $16.8 million. That figure includes insurance costs and settlements, property damage and all other expenses related to the accidents.

In the city of Cape Girardeau, the number of accidents is on the rise. We ended the year with more than 250 accidents over 1992. The reasons are unclear, but the trend is disturbing to police and motorists in general.

Sgt. Al Moore, head of the Cape Police department's traffic division, said one of the biggest problems were those "gawking" over floodwaters.

This problem was especially severe on Interstate 55 between Route 74 and the Nash Road exit. Last year, the stretch did not even deserve a mention in the "top 10 accident spots." This past year, it finished number one.

Police worked 39 accidents along that particular stretch of Interstate 55 last year -- the highest number since it was annexed about five years ago. It was also the scene of the greatest number of injury accidents for 1993 as well.

Too often, people along this stretch were distracted by factors not related to the roadway or traffic -- including the flooding or traffic from the municipal airport.

Other stretches of Interstate 55 proved troublesome for police as well -- including the junctions with Route K and North Kingshighway. Other top accident locations are along Cape Girardeau's busiest streets -- Route K at Mt. Auburn, William and Kingshighway, and at several locations along Broadway.

Of the 2,090 accidents last year, 576 were caused by one car rear-ending another. Following too closely or inattention were frequently the blame of these accidents.

The past year was a dangerous one on Cape Girardeau's roadways. There were three vehicle fatalities in the city of Cape Girardeau last year -- one more than last year. Another 381 persons were injured in city accidents in 1992.

In 70 of those accidents, an intoxicated driver was the blame. Three involved a person impaired by drugs.

Age is also a factor in accidents. Local statistics revealed that people over the age of 50 had the fewest fender benders. Young men and women ages 16 to 20 were involved in the highest number of accidents in 1993. There are more older drivers on the road, but they have been better drivers -- to a degree, said Moore. And perhaps that's because these people aren't always in such a hurry.

Cape Girardeau is a hub for business, education and medical pursuits. As such, it might be easy to blame the high number of accidents on out-of-towners. But the Moore said that's just not so. Local residents bumped into each other more often than did visitors -- by more than two to one. Again that might be an issue of familiarity. It's easy to zoom by the same stretch we see every day. But statistics indicate that a vast number of accidents happen within five miles from home. It's these quick trips or frequent travels that can lead to problems.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department is trying to do its share to decrease accidents by issuing summons for speeding and other violations. Most accidents, said Moore, involve a violation of a city ordinance. He also says people drive better -- at least for a while -- after they've been issued a summons.

But perhaps we can avoid all that unpleasantness by buckling down on our driving habits and buckling up for safety. If we all do our part, city accident statistics could take a turn for the better in 1994.