Portsmouth is the Most Dangerous Hampton Roads City to Drive In

Thousands of traffic accidents occur every year on the highways of Hampton Roads. Tragically, some of them kill drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Portsmouth is the most dangerous Hampton Roads city to drive in, according to the latest accident report from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

The 2018 Virginia Crash Facts report reveals Portsmouth had the highest rate of fatal motor vehicle accidents last year of the seven cities of Hampton Roads.

Police reported 1,360 wrecks in Portsmouth in 2018. They caused 11 deaths and 930 injuries. The city’s death rate per 1,000 drivers was 0.19.

Traffic crashes claimed the lives of more people in Virginia Beach. However, the city has more licensed drivers than any other in Virginia. The city reported 6,399 accidents in 2018 with 3,285 injuries and 37 deaths. The city’s death rate was 0.12 per 1,000 drivers, which is below the state average of 0.14. Virginia Beach’s road traffic rate is rising. In 2017, 25 people died on the highways of Virginia’s largest city.

Statistically, Newport News was the second most dangerous Hampton Roads city to drive in last year. Police were called to 3,546 crashes. In all, 17 people died and 2,074 were injured. Last year, 11 people died in Hampton, which had a death rate per 1,000 drivers of 0.12.

In Norfolk, 16 people died and 2,142 suffered injuries in 4,181 auto accidents last year. The city’s death rate was 0.13 per 1,000 drivers.

In previous years, both Chesapeake and Suffolk had the unwelcome distinction of being the most dangerous cities for fatal car accidents in Hampton Roads. Twenty people died on the highways of Chesapeake in 2018. Although this was almost double the number of people who died in Portsmouth, the death rate was lower at 0.12 per 1,000 drivers. The report shows 2,549 accidents in Chesapeake last year and 1,825 injuries.

Suffolk was the safest city for drivers in Hampton Roads in 2018. The city recorded 1,768 accidents, 1,173 injuries and 5 deaths giving it a death rate of 0.08 per 1,000 drivers.

The 2017 Virginia Crash Facts Report highlighted Suffolk as the most deadly driving city in Hampton Roads that year. Suffolk recorded a death rate of a high 0.29 per 1,000 in 2017. There were 18 deaths in 2017 on its roads and 1,692 crashes. The city recorded 1,196 injuries.

Portsmouth has many hazardous highways including Portsmouth Boulevard, Airline Boulevard, I-264 approaching the Downtown Tunnel, and U.S. 58 into the Midtown Tunnel. The city sees large volumes of commuter traffic and numerous big trucks access the Port of Virginia.

Fatal crashes in 2018 included the death of a passenger who was traveling in a car driven the wrong way on I-264 by a driver accused of being under the influence.

What is the Most Dangerous Place to Drive in Virginia?

Sussex County routinely records the highest death rate in Virginia, and 2018 was no exception. Just 283 wrecks led to 7 fatalities in the county in 2018. The death rate was 1.18 per 1,000 drivers. Many of these deadly crashes occur on Route 460 where tractor-trailers are a constant hazard.

Talk to a Portsmouth Car Crash Injury Lawyer at Cooper Hurley

We were alarmed to read Portsmouth was the most dangerous Hampton Roads city to drive in last year. Every year, the legal team at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers represents hundreds of clients who suffered injuries in car crashes in Portsmouth. We have a client meeting location in the Olde Towne section of the city and our lawyers have worked in Portsmouth for decades. Call us today for a free consultation if you suffered an injury or a family member lost their life.