This truck was one of the two involved in a crash at W. Muskegon and 6th Street Wednesday. Photo by B. Sanderson.

Slippery roads contributed to crashes all over Kent County on Wednesday, January 3. There were a multitude of slide offs, rollovers, and crashes on both the highways and local roads.

One of the crashes occurred in the City of Cedar Springs. The Kent County Sheriff Department responded to a property damage crash at W. Muskegon and 6^th shortly before 10 a.m. Sgt. Jason Kelley reported that a westbound pick-up truck lost control, crossed the centerline and struck an eastbound pick-up truck. No injuries were reported. The driver of the westbound vehicle was cited for violation of basic speed law—driving too fast.

A cold blustery day Tuesday with falling temps caused ice to rapidly freeze on the roads Tuesday afternoon, which led to multiple crashes and slide offs along northbound US131 between 10 and 12 Mile Roads. It was reported that as many as 30 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction crash that tied up that stretch of road for more than two hours. Police reported no major injuries.

Fewer people died in Michigan traffic crashes last year, driven partially by significant declines in motorcyclist fatalities, commercial motor vehicle-involved fatalities and alcohol and drug involvement in fatal crashes. Traffic deaths dropped 5 percent, from 937 in 2010 to 889 in 2011.

Statewide crash information is collected by the Michigan State Police (MSP) Criminal Justice Information Center.

Changes from 2010 to 2011 included a 1 percent increase in total crashes, up from 282,075 in 2010 to 284,049 in 2011; and a 2 percent increase in crash-related injuries, up from 70,501 in 2010 to 71,796 in 2011.

Crash data also showed a 3 percent drop in alcohol-involved fatalities, down from 283 in 2010 to 274 in 2011. Drug involvement in fatalities fell 17 percent, from 153 in 2010 to 127 in 2011.

“It is extremely good news that traffic deaths are down in 2011,” said Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, MSP director. “Further study will take place to see if we can determine what may have caused the fairly large changes in the areas of motorcycles, commercial motor vehicles and drug involvement in fatal crashes.”

In other areas:

Cell phone-involved crashes decreased from 881 in 2010 to 821 in 2011. Cell phone-involved fatal crashes increased from four in 2010 to six in 2011.  (Michigan cannot track crashes involving texting specifically.)

Commercial motor vehicle-involved fatalities fell 23 percent, from 95 in 2010 to 73 in 2011.

Motorcyclist fatalities dropped 13 percent, from 125 in 2010 to 109 in 2011.

Bicyclist fatalities were down 17 percent, from 29 in 2010 to 24 in 2011.

Pedestrian fatalities increased 6 percent, from 131 in 2010 to 140 in 2011.

The number of car-deer crashes declined 4 percent, from 55,867 in 2010 to 53,592 in 2011.