75% more deaths

[alaskyn66]

The data missing is what caused these accidents .
It's to bad that data is not available.
Dui.. speeding.. failure to yield...etc.

[PaulW]

I think it's well known that traffic deaths are on the decrease, which is why this year's spike raised eyebrows.
It could just be a statistical anomaly but some (including me) think smartphones may have something to do with it.
Thanks for the statistical analysis TomK.

In any case, drive safely and put away those phones! Whatever it is, it can wait.

In 2017 I'll collect the descriptions of fatalities from Nixle emails to see if there's a pattern.

[PaulW]

Actually the numbers (mine) for 2015 are wrong, there was a double fatality on Dec 30th. So it was 19 and not as large a jump as I thought.

[kalakoa]

increased population leads to more traffic, which moves slower

Where the roads aren't upgraded to meet demand, this outcome is correct.

[BillyB]

It must be because of the round a bout. I remember the usual suspects predicting it would turn into a meat grinder. They are never wrong.

[Tink]

Could it be that a lot of folks drive like a bat outta hell (mostly from lack of planning, i.e.: time management) on roads "engineered" for 45mph, but maintained to a 35mph condition at best, with poruring rain added to the factor?

Community begins with Aloha

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

folks drive like a bat outta hell
increased population leads to more traffic
driving a car is like having a loaded gun
drunk driving... People groggy, impatient, and on the phone.

Every reason that has been listed is a potential accident waiting to happen. Thankfully, most of the time accidents don't occur even with less than optimal driving conditions (inside or outside the car), and if it does take place, it's a fender-bender or minor collision.

Fatalities aren't the result of a one-size-fits-all silver bullet situation. Which unfortunately means, there's no one solution to reduce traffic deaths.

"One may pretend knowledge of philosophy more successfully than that of arithmetic." -Last Aphorisms (or how about, one may pretend knowledge with an opinion more successfully than with facts)

[ironyak]

ironyak - So increased population leads to more traffic, which moves slower, leading to fewer deaths..
TomK - You made that conclusion, ironyak, not I, just so we're clear.

Yeah, you don't get to take credit for my discovery! We can only hope that DOT sees this wisdom of this approach and takes the next step and adopts HA's side roads as the new standard of maintenance. Is a fatal traffic accident even possible there? This would save millions that could used for developing public transportation (on Oahu). Or we could employ the classic problem-solving recommendation of eating the Irish (reduced population means fewer potential traffic fatalities) but there may not be enough of them around to really effect the numbers.

Sarcasm aside, as TomK pointed out the recent numbers aren't really out of the norm at all (there is an 95% chance that any given year will be between 13 and 45 traffic fatalities (avg +/- 2SD) so only 2014 at 11 stands out slightly to me. Focusing on just the recent, or very limited, data as meaningful is a common statistical mistake.

As many noted, without more info on location, age, resident status, suspected cause, etc, it's really all just a guess which says more about people's perceptions than actual causes. (I like the round-about so that can't be it, but do hate the increase in those blindingly-bright halogen and xenon headlights so I'm blaming them)

Edit:typo