MINOT, N.D. -- Traffic accidents in the oil patch region of the state have reached dizzying numbers in 2011, with fatalities suffered on the roadways higher for the northwest region of the state than in any other two regions combined.
Unfortunately, that trend is almost sure to continue, according to authorities.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol's Northwest Region includes three of the most heavily oil-impacted counties - McKenzie, Williams and Mountrail. And although it has not seen much drilling activity, Ward County is also heavily oil-impacted as a business hub for many companies moving into the eastern edge of the bountiful Bakken shale play.
Capt. Gary Orluck, administrative commander for the Northwest Region, says there's no doubt that accidents, and more specifically fatal accidents, are on a meteoric rise.
"We're double what any other region is in the state," Orluck said recently. "So far, in 2011, year-to-date, we have 55 fatalities in the Northwest Region."
ADVERTISEMENT
By comparison, the Southeast Region, where the state's largest city, Fargo, is located, has 24 fatalities. The Southwest Region, home to Bismarck as well as oil impact counties Dunn and Stark, has 25, while Grand Forks' Northeast Region has 26.
Those 55 fatalities occurred in 50 total fatal crashes, a trend not unusual with other regions. The vast majority of fatality crashes only kill one person, fortunately.
Alcohol has been involved in approximately 45 percent of the traffic fatalities statewide, but the Northwest Region's 40 percent is actually holding that number down. In the eastern regions, where there is virtually no oil impact, alcohol is involved in 50 percent of the fatalities.
Thus far in 2011, the Northwest Region has seen a 5 percent boost in the number of property damage accidents when compared with the total from 2010, and a 7.5 percent jump from 2009.
However, injury accidents are up more than 45 percent over 2010, and 30 percent over 2009.
Fatal crashes in the region have already more than doubled over 2010.
McKenzie and Ward counties have the state's highest number of fatalities, with 15 and 13 respectively, and when combined exceed any other entire region. Adding in Williams' 10 and Mountrail's six, those four counties have suffered 34 percent of the state's total. Orluck said he is puzzled over the exact cause of so many fatal accidents.
"The reasons? I don't know," he said. "Alcohol is only one facet. Thirty of our 55 fatalities were not wearing seat belts. If we could impact those two areas in a meaningful way, hopefully we could bring those numbers down."
ADVERTISEMENT
All in all, the increase in the number of traffic accidents is a function of mathematics, Orluck said, and cannot be placed on the shoulders of the oil industry.
"It's easy to blame the oil industry, and a lot of people tend to do that," he said. "I think that's somewhat unfair. Not all the crashes are caused by a commercial driver, driving an oil truck that's violating all kinds of laws.
"Does that happen? Yes, and we stop them. But we also stop everyday drivers, driving cars every day. It's just the number of people and the number of vehicles on any specific stretch of highway at any given time.
"It also doesn't mean that some of these crashes could be prevented if people followed all the rules of the road."
Orluck said speed, tiredness and distracted driving are huge factors as well.
The keys are defensive driving and personal responsibility.
"To blame it all on the oil industry and out of state drivers? That's just not fair," he said. "We've got just as many North Dakotans that we pick up for traffic violations."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
