Accident data shows that speed and traffic volume raise the risk of fatal accidents, leading to identifiable pockets of higher crash rates when those elements combine.
Al.com reports (http://bit.ly/YLUVHn) that 537 fatal crashes in Jefferson and Shelby counties killed 590 people between 2007 and 2011.
Statistics show the number of fatal crashes trending upward toward the end of that period, though stronger laws intended to improve driver behavior could reverse the trend, analysts say.
Al.com mapped clusters of accidents in Jefferson and Shelby counties, based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Among them:
—Interstate 20/59 at Arkadelphia Road
—The I-65/I-459 interchange; and
—Interstate 20/59 between First Avenue North and Roebuck Parkway.
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Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.