A recent telephone survey of western Virginia residents who use Interstate 81 shows that one-half of them are aware that a 15-mile section of I-81 near Roanoke is designated a Highway Safety Corridor and that there are increased fines associated with the corridor. More than 40% of those who were aware of the Highway Safety Corridor also said they had improved their driving behavior as a result.

In addition, a recent evaluation of the crashes in that section shows that the number of wrecks has leveled off since the stretch was designated a Highway Safety Corridor in early 2004.

As more and more people become aware of the I-81 safety corridor, we hope to see declining numbers of crashes occurring there, said Connie Sorrell, chief of operations for the Virginia Department of Transportation. We are especially pleased to see that drivers are changing their behavior because of the Highway Safety Corridor designation. Thats the best news of all.

The phone survey was conducted by the Southeastern Institute of Research, a 40-year-old research firm located in Richmond. Earlier this year, two additional safety corridors were designated  one on I-95 in Richmond and the other on I-95 in Northern Virginia. VDOT continues to promote safe driving in these corridors through a combination of public service and paid advertising.

Corporate marketing experts tell us that 50% awareness is phenomenal, especially because we used a small promotional campaign, said Lynda South, VDOT chief of communications. Product marketers would be thrilled with scores that high & and they would be blown away that more than a third of their potential customers took action based on being aware.

Another positive result that may be associated with the safety corridor designation is the leveling off of the number of crashes occurring there. A comparison of crash numbers from 2000-2004 shows rising numbers of crashes each year  until the safety corridor designation in early 2004. At that point, the number of crashes stayed about the same.

The number of crashes was increasing each year, and had that trend continued, we would have expected a 13 percent increase from 2003 to 2004, said Sorrell. While we all prefer to see fewer crashes, at least the number held steady and didnt rise. We intend to do more to help the public understand how important it is to drive safely on I-81, especially on that stretch between the Roanoke and New River valleys.

The following chart shows the reportable crash counts in the 15-mile section of I-81 designated as a Highway Safety Corridor (PDO stands for Property Damage Only):

Year	PDO Crashes	Injury Crashes	Total Crashes
2000	84	54	138
2001	102	39	141
2002	115	62	177
2003	145	68	213
2004 HSC	146	69	215

The I-81 safety corridor extends from mile marker 127 near Ironto in Montgomery County to mile marker 142 near Salem. It was designated a year ago as a result of legislation passed by the 2003 General Assembly to create a Highway Safety Corridor Program. Three state agencies are responsible for implementing the program: the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Simply put, collaboration among state agency resources and expertise yields positive results, said Col. W. Steve Flaherty, Virginia State Police superintendent. With the comprehensive approach of increased fines, signage and visibility of Virginia State Police troopers, the Highway Safety Corridor Program is fulfilling its purpose of making our highways safer.

If drivers are cited by law enforcement officers for traffic violations or criminal infractions in highway safety corridors, then they may receive tickets with fines up to $2,500, depending on the citation.

Another round of I-81 safety corridor awareness advertising will begin this spring. Smart Way buses carrying commuters along I-81 from Roanoke to Blacksburg will carry ads advising motorists to use caution in the Highway Safety Corridor. Also, fans attending Virginia Tech home football games or listening to the statewide Virginia Tech radio network will hear promotional ads for the I-81 Highway Safety Corridor.

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Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.

Page last modified: April 7, 2005