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RICHMOND-Accidents, in | juries and fatalities on comI bined sections of Interstate 95 and U. S. Route 1 are sharply below those that occurred on old US 1 before the interstate route was opened, although traffic has increased by more than 44 per cent.
Thesd were'among the findings in a report just completed by the State Highway Department comparing “before" and "after" statistics on the two north-south highways in Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties and the City of Fredericksburg. • The study compared US 1 statistics for the period Dec. 18, 1963-Dec. 17, 1964 to the combined statistics of US 1 and 1-95 for the period from Dec. 18, 1964 to Dec. 17, 1965.
The Department noted that frequent studies of this type are made to evaluate the influence of new highways throughout the Commonwealth.
Some of the most dramatic findings of the study showed there were 201 fewer accidents, 165 fewer persons injured and 13 fewer persons killed on the combined corridors than on old US 1 alone. However, the average daily traffic increased by more than 7,000 vehicles during the study period. For the one-year period prior to the opening of 1-95, there were 587 accidents on US 1 resulting in 350 injured persons, and 21 fatalities. The one-year span following the interstate opening showed 386 accidents, 185 injured persons and eight deaths on the combined routes. The report also showed that 178 of the accidents, 83 of the injuries and five of the deaths occurred on US 1 durng the period following the opening of 1-95. Average daily traffic on old US 1 was 16,471 in 1963-64. After the opening of 1-95, US 1 traffic fell to an average of 5,984 vehicles daily while 1-95 averaged 17,779 There were 401 property damage accidents before the interstate amounting to $416,424, but the figure dropped to 262 after interstate and the amount to $280,206--thus 139 fewer property damage accidents and $136, 218 less property damage on the combined routes than on old US 1. , The study estimated econom ic loss--a term whichlncludes property damage, medical expenses, insurance, time loss from job and many otherfactors--on old US 1 tobe$l,200,000, while the estimated economic loss on the combined routes was $700,000. Other significant statistics showed the combined routes had a 55 per cent lower accident rate, 64 per cent lower injury rate and a 74 per cent lower death rate.
Woodland Grazing
Is Bad Business
Forester William C. Vcf nam, Virginia Division of Forestry, warns that there has been a heavy crop of oak acorns this year and that there have been reported losses of livestock in the state where animals have been allowed to graze woodland areas. I .osses have been attributed to the excessive tannic acid in the acorns.
Farm woodland areas used for livestock gra/ingare often high hazard areas foranimals as there are many woodland plants capable of severe poisoning which often results in animal mortality. It is also not uncommon for animals to break a leg in old stump holes fox dens or ground hog holes. Animals have also been known to get wedged between trees and if they have not been located quickly, they have starved to death or frozen to ; I** *" *" ■- ■
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