RI traffic deaths at record low

February 23, 2016 5:45 pm

By: Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Traffic deaths on Rhode Island highways are at a record low, according to new numbers from State Police and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT).

45 people died in 2015, which is 22 fewer than in 2010.

But officials noted that even one death is one to many. "We still continue to want to take that death rate down," said Col. Steven O’Donnell.

While deaths are down, texting while driving is on the rise, responsible for a quarter of crashes nationwide. Statistics show drivers are 2,400 percent more likely to crash if they’re texting.

"I would say for every one that’s documented, I would say there’s nine more that’s not," explained Ronald Resmini, a Providence lawyer. He’s dealt with more and more of these cases in recent years.

It’s illegal to text and drive in Rhode Island, but police say it’s difficult to enforce because you would have to subpoena the phone records to prove it. "To do that for traffic tickets, it’s not cost effective, it’s not going to work," O’Donnell explained.

Drunk and drugged driving still account for a third of all highway deaths in Rhode Island.

For Muriel Grady, that number is more than a statistic. Her granddaughter, Alexandra Patten, died in December from a crash where the driver was drunk.

"It’s hard," she said. "I kiss her picture every morning…It shouldn’t have to be this way."

As far as distracted driving is concerned, the Senate Judiciary Committee is considering a new bill to ban drivers from using a cell phone if it’s not hands-free. Statistics show drivers are 300 percent more likely to get into a crash while talking on a handheld phone.