Friday, February 16, 2023–12:34 p.m.

-David Crowder, WRGA News-

The Rome Police Department is reporting that there was a three percent reduction in traffic crashes and accidents with injuries from 2022 to 2023.

Captain Danny Storey with the Rome Police Department recently told the city’s traffic commission there were also three percent reductions in total injuries and DUIs.

The trend is continuing so far in 2024. In January, there were 159 accidents, down from 165 in January the year before. Injuries are also trending down with 67 in January of 2023 and 52 this January.

“That is saying a lot about the officers that are out there doing their directive patrols at some of these intersections,” Storey said. “It’s tremendous how they are working together.”

DUI arrests are down slightly as are DUI-related accidents. There have been no DUI-related fatalities so far this year.

“It’s our goal, and it’s proven, that if continue to do what we’re doing, I think we can end this year the same way we did last year, which is down instead of up,” Storey said. “I think that’s a positive thing, considering the volume of traffic that Rome has seen and the growth.”

In January, the intersection of Riverside Parkway and Chatillion Road saw the most accidents with six. Four were the result of failing to yield, one was caused by following too closely, and one was the result of an improper turn.

The only bad news in the year-end report is that traffic fatalities increased from eight in 2022 to nine in 2023.

There has been one fatality so far in 2024—that occurring on Highway 27 South at Walker Mountain Road on January 27.

Photo: Captain Danny Storey (left) with the Rome Police Department shares year-end traffic stats during last week’s city traffic committee meeting