drive or be killed
tommyIt’s time to check back in with Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Larry Coggins. At the end of last June, Trooper Coggins told us that there were already 112 traffic deaths in Hillsborough County, and 197 within the counties of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas.
I just got the year-end figures from him, and the results are not surprising. There were 226 deaths on Hillsborough roads, so the rate of almost 9 deaths every two weeks remained consistent throughout the year. Likewise, Pasco had 85 total and Pinellas 102. The tri-county area ended with 413, again giving us 11 dead every 10 days.
The 226 in Hillsborough is the highest in 16 years. 1990 saw 227 die, and in 2002, 223 died on your roadways. Just in Hillsborough. The lowest since ’90 was the 168 they found in 1993. The average (since ‘90) is 197, and most years are right around that number.
In 2004, 44 of the 185 fatalities in Hillsborough were of pedestrians. That makes 3.67/month.
In 2005, we only killed 32 walkers. I don’t understand why I get so upset about it, it’s an improvement to only 2.67 dead walkers each month.
Other interesting dead people facts: Flablog says Florida is #1 in bicycle deaths. Florida pedestrian deaths consistently rank among the highest in the nation. Along with Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa ranks high.
Oh well, F*ck ‘em. There’s mass transit envy, scary gay people to suppress, self-aggrandizing sports edifices, skanky swimsuit servers to eliminate, transit systems to blow up, hurricanes to ignore, school districts to micromanage, perks to even out, dangerous flesh peddlers to harass, developments to grease through, and back-door pay raises to deal with. Besides, dead people don’t vote.
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January 13th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Somebody needs
asome beer.January 13th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
“Besides, dead people don’t vote.”
Sure they do. They do in Chicago, anyway.
January 13th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Is it just me or has Tommy seemed a little angry the past few days?
January 15th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Don’t mean to be a downer, but this subject is not the one to discuss Tommy’s disposition on. Matter of fact, I think the lad’s writing style helps to underscore the seriousness of this problem.
January 17th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
[...] Confirming that I am not the only one who is tired of bad driving habits, another local blogger says we all know some of those that are a bit careless when driving. Dave calls them “Faceless Spirits” [...]
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:51 pm
[...] Richard was a very nice guy, very professional and damn good with his hands! I had doubts at first about an in-home massage, but in hind sight was the most relaxing experience I have had in a very long time. If you drive in Tampa, then you need a massage. I certainly have no reservations in recommending Richard. [...]
March 1st, 2006 at 2:29 pm
[...] You know I get irritated at the horrible drivers on our roads. We all know these people are not stupid, they just don’t pay attention. But there are some things we can do to make it a bit easier for all of us out there: Use your blinkers. [...]