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Highways, Park Meadows highlight list of the most accident-prone stretches of road in Douglas County
Places Douglas County drivers are most likely to be in a car accident depends on their motivation for driving.
By Kiersten J. Mayer
Places Douglas County drivers are most likely to be in a car accident depends on their motivation for driving.
A 28-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Lone Tree and El Paso County used by commuters and tourists saw 296 accidents, 102 injuries and one fatality between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31. Westbound C-470 from Lone Tree to the Douglas/Jefferson county line saw 212 accidents, 69 injuries and one fatality during the same time period.
Road corridors used to travel from one municipality to another in Douglas County typically see the highest accident rates, much of which can be attributed to traffic volume. Highways 85, 83 and 86 finish out the list of roadways with the most accidents the first eight months of the year.
U.S. 85 from C-470 to Castle Rock had 97 accidents, 28 injuries and two fatalities. Colo. 83 with portions in Arapahoe County all the way to El Paso County had 95 accidents with 45 injuries. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to 17 accidents with six injuries and two fatalities on Colo. 86 between Castle Rock and Franktown in the first eight months of the year.
Colorado State Patrol Capt. Doug Shelton said most accident rates on local roads show what results when a growing area has more cars driving its main arteries.
"Obviously, we have the most traffic on I-25 between 6 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m.," he said. "The causes of the accidents are mostly inattention to driving, following too closely and lane violations like unsafe lane changes and failing to signal."
The DUI rate in Douglas County is less than 5 percent of total accidents and a recent CSP seatbelt survey shows 89 percent of drivers wear them when driving I-25.
"That's not as good as we'd like it to be, but it's probably better than the state average," Shelton said.
If shopping is motivation for getting into a vehicle, then Park Meadows Mall in is the most likely spot in unincorporated Douglas County for accidents.
DCSO statistics show there were 27 accidents, three with injuries, at 8401 Park Meadows Center Drive - Park Meadows Mall - the first eight months of 2005, Lt. Alan Stanton said. Other trouble spots in the county are South Quebec Street and C-470 with 17 accidents and two injuries and East Lincoln Avenue at Stonegate Parkway where 12 accidents with three injuries were reported. In the first eight months of the year in unincorporated Douglas County the DCSO responded to 1,115 accidents in 705 locations. Of those, 229 had injuries and there were five fatalities.
Two of the top 10 accident spots in unincorporated Douglas County can be found at local high schools, the DCSO reports. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 there were eight accidents in front of Douglas County High School, No. 6 on DCSO's list. Highlands Ranch High School on Cresthill Lane is No. 8 on the list with six accidents.
"Theses are areas where there are inexperienced drivers as opposed to traffic volume," Stanton said.
Kena Peterson, community affairs coordinator for Parker, said intersections where the most accidents happen include Parker Road and Mainstreet, Lincoln Avenue and Parker Road, Stroh and Parker roads, Lincoln Avenue and Jordan Road, and Parker Road and Cottonwood Drive. Parker, which saw six teens die on local roadways in 2004, has had no fatalities January through August of this year.
Michelle Kivela, Lone Tree assistant city manager, said between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 the city's newly formed police department responded to 34 accidents at Lincoln Avenue and I-25, 29 accidents at Yosemite and Park Meadows Center Drive and 24 accidents at Lincoln Avenue and Yosemite Street. Overall, there were 610 accidents in Lone Tree's jurisdiction, 62 with injuries.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
A 28-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Lone Tree and El Paso County used by commuters and tourists saw 296 accidents, 102 injuries and one fatality between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31. Westbound C-470 from Lone Tree to the Douglas/Jefferson county line saw 212 accidents, 69 injuries and one fatality during the same time period.
Road corridors used to travel from one municipality to another in Douglas County typically see the highest accident rates, much of which can be attributed to traffic volume. Highways 85, 83 and 86 finish out the list of roadways with the most accidents the first eight months of the year.
U.S. 85 from C-470 to Castle Rock had 97 accidents, 28 injuries and two fatalities. Colo. 83 with portions in Arapahoe County all the way to El Paso County had 95 accidents with 45 injuries. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to 17 accidents with six injuries and two fatalities on Colo. 86 between Castle Rock and Franktown in the first eight months of the year.
Colorado State Patrol Capt. Doug Shelton said most accident rates on local roads show what results when a growing area has more cars driving its main arteries.
"Obviously, we have the most traffic on I-25 between 6 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m.," he said. "The causes of the accidents are mostly inattention to driving, following too closely and lane violations like unsafe lane changes and failing to signal."
The DUI rate in Douglas County is less than 5 percent of total accidents and a recent CSP seatbelt survey shows 89 percent of drivers wear them when driving I-25.
"That's not as good as we'd like it to be, but it's probably better than the state average," Shelton said.
If shopping is motivation for getting into a vehicle, then Park Meadows Mall in is the most likely spot in unincorporated Douglas County for accidents.
DCSO statistics show there were 27 accidents, three with injuries, at 8401 Park Meadows Center Drive - Park Meadows Mall - the first eight months of 2005, Lt. Alan Stanton said. Other trouble spots in the county are South Quebec Street and C-470 with 17 accidents and two injuries and East Lincoln Avenue at Stonegate Parkway where 12 accidents with three injuries were reported. In the first eight months of the year in unincorporated Douglas County the DCSO responded to 1,115 accidents in 705 locations. Of those, 229 had injuries and there were five fatalities.
Two of the top 10 accident spots in unincorporated Douglas County can be found at local high schools, the DCSO reports. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 31 there were eight accidents in front of Douglas County High School, No. 6 on DCSO's list. Highlands Ranch High School on Cresthill Lane is No. 8 on the list with six accidents.
"Theses are areas where there are inexperienced drivers as opposed to traffic volume," Stanton said.
Kena Peterson, community affairs coordinator for Parker, said intersections where the most accidents happen include Parker Road and Mainstreet, Lincoln Avenue and Parker Road, Stroh and Parker roads, Lincoln Avenue and Jordan Road, and Parker Road and Cottonwood Drive. Parker, which saw six teens die on local roadways in 2004, has had no fatalities January through August of this year.
Michelle Kivela, Lone Tree assistant city manager, said between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 the city's newly formed police department responded to 34 accidents at Lincoln Avenue and I-25, 29 accidents at Yosemite and Park Meadows Center Drive and 24 accidents at Lincoln Avenue and Yosemite Street. Overall, there were 610 accidents in Lone Tree's jurisdiction, 62 with injuries.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
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