A statistical analysis of vehicle accidents within the town of Walden has confirmed what many residents already knew: Anderson Pike is a high-crash area.
But, according to the study compiled by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, it's not the only one.
The 1500 block of Anderson Pike, where drivers approach the W Road when descending the mountain, was joined by five other frequently used intersections and roadways listed as areas where most of the town's car wrecks occur.
Traffic study
The six major areas for car wrecks in Walden over last two years, ranked in order:1500 block of Anderson Pike, at the top of the W Road: 7 accidents reportedIntersection of Anderson Pike and 1800 block of Taft Highway, near Walden Town Hall: 5 accidents reported2800-3200 block of Taft Highway, next to Discount Tobacco Shop and Pinecrest Baptist Church: 5 accidents reportedIntersection of Fairmount Pike at Key Hulse Road, near Wayside Presbyterian Church: 4 accidents reported600-800 block of Key Hulse Road, near Signal Mountain Christian School: 4 accidents reportedIntersection of Anderson Pike and 2600 block of Taft Highway, near Signal Mountain Church of the Nazarene: 4 accidents reported*Source: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
The study was compiled using HCSO accident reports from the last two years, said Matt Lea, public information officer for the sheriff's office.
According to the report, most of the car crashes in Walden occurred during the hours of noon and 5 p.m., which Lea noted are the times residents might be leaving their homes or returning from work. Most of these crashes took place on Fridays, with Wednesday afternoons taking a close second.
Though sharp turns and blind intersections played a role in some crashes, the data shows that the primary contributing factor for car accidents throughout the town was drivers following too closely, failing to stay in their lane and failing to obey traffic control devices, such as speed or yield signs.
"So it's basically people doing what they normally do when they're driving: not paying attention to what they're doing which is something we see, unfortunately, all over the county," said Lea.
Mayor Bill Trohanis said the town requested the data from HCSO in part to verify data collected by the new speed sign the town spent $3,250 to install near the intersection of East Brow Road and Anderson Pike earlier this year. Information collected from the electronic sign has shown that drivers are taking turns on the road too fast, he said, and having it ranked at the top of HCSO's list with seven accidents in the last two years has confirmed the need for the sign, which also displays drivers' current speed.
A crime analyst from the sheriff's office visited Walden to inspect the problem areas identified by the study, Lea said. The analyst recommended officials look into solutions like alternating the pavement to a rougher material to prevent drivers on Anderson Pike from rear-ending those ahead of them, especially in slick conditions.
"These are just recommendations based on what law enforcement recommends," Lea added. "We're not traffic engineers but those are valid recommendations that might help with some opportunities for improvement."
Other recommendations - such as installing a sign warning motorists of the blind intersection on Key Hulse Road, another problem area - were detailed in the report.
Trohanis said officials will soon recruit a traffic engineer for further input as they consider any next steps.