Traffic fatalities decreasing in county

By Staff
Kim West, Franklin County Times
Franklin County motorists enjoy some of the safest roadways in northwest Alabama when considering traffic fatalities in surrounding counties and throughout the state.
Since 2003, there has been a rise in traffic fatalities in Alabama, according to data from the Alabama Department of Public Safety. There were 1,007 deaths in 2003, and the number reached 1,208 last year.
Franklin County recorded 11 traffic-related deaths in 2003, but the number has steadily decreased each year to only four fatalities in 2006. Colbert County (9), Lauderdale County (14) and Lawrence County (14) all had more fatalities last year than Franklin County.
Local officials attributed the decline of traffic fatalities in Franklin County to a number of factors.
"I would say a lot of that is based on several things," Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said. "There is federal highway safety money for holiday blitzes that gives overtime money to work traffic, and we have a lot of younger officers that are prone to work hard on aggressive types of driving."
During 2007, there has been only one traffic-related death in the county, and none in the Red Bay community, according to Red Bay Police Chief Pat Creel.
"I think it's because of a good enforcement policy," Creel said. "When you enforce traffic policies, traffic crashes go down.
"One of the catchphrases these days is 'proactive enforcement.' That means us going out and doing our jobs and letting people see us out there."
Hargett said motorists who drive recklessly face the possibility of being reported by fellow drivers.
"We encourage people to call, and not just about drunken driving," Hargett said. "Anytime someone has a safety concern, they can call the police dispatcher. The dispatcher gathers as much information as possible, and then they immediately dispatch it to the units on the street. Then those units go out and observe those areas."
Hargett said the Russellville Police Department had 194 drunken driving calls and 269 reckless driving calls reported by residents in 2006.
To report a driving concern, call the department at 332-2230.