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Posted on Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.

Multiple crashes could slow traffic on I-94 in the Ann Arbor area

By Cindy Heflin

Drivers may encounter traffic backups on I-94 in several places in the Ann Arbor area this morning.

Emergency personnel are responding to crashes at westbound I-94 and State Street, eastbound I-94 at Zeeb Road, and two crashes in the area of eastbound I-94 and M-52 near Chelsea, with one involving a deer.

A dispatcher with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department said debris was reported on the roadway in the area of one of the crashes near Chelsea. The cars in the other crashes are not believed to be blocking the roadway, but traffic may still be affected.

Further information was not immediately available.

Comments

FoxviewFarm

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 7:18 p.m.

I have developed the insane habit of listening to the police scanner on my iPhone driving to Detroit in the AM from Chelsea..Why? Because the traffic is so dependent on accidents in Washtenaw County/I-94, M-14/US-23. I am closer to the 157 exit, but that is always a real question because of the "curve". Past Ford Road, I can turn it off- it's usually pretty boring, but I need the traffic info and have not found a good source for this that early. Speeding IS an issue, and I admit that I speed. But this AM is was worse than ever (I leave at 6:10A) for some reason. I was at 75ish;-) and I was being passed. Crazy. Distractions are bad, but the mindless running late is worse. As for the deer- there are SO many Deer vs. Car accidents that we never hear about here. I often wonder when we hear about the car accidents where there are no good "why" answers if deer are involved. We'll never know....

jcj

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 3:10 p.m.

Speaking of deer. If you drive on Miller rd between Zeeb and Wagner you better slow down from dusk till dawn. This is one of the most densely populated areas for deer. My prediction: There WILL be at least 5 car deer accidents there this fall.

loves_fall

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 12:43 p.m.

Cool site, arbor315 -- thanks for sharing it!

scooter dog

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 12:14 p.m.

Your in the minority if you do the speed limit on most any e-way. I do 70 and 99% of the others blow past me like I am standing still. Then you have the tailgaters who think its cool to see how close they can get to your rear bumper. I wish I were a cop.

loves_fall

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 10:46 a.m.

I agree with FormerlyAA too... I would fight 55-60 MPH speed limits tooth and nail. 70 MPH is becoming the standard speed in most states (at least in these parts), with the notable exception of Ohio. People have a responsibility to pay attention while driving and to drive safely. If they can't handle the responsibility, they shouldn't be on the road and I would support more aggressive measures to take them off the road. I'd like to see law enforcement come down harder on tailgating, because even the effects of inattention (that we can't always control) can be moderated to some extent by leaving enough following room. Making it a habit to stay 3 seconds or more behind the car in front of you and monitoring traffic farther up the road gives you time to actually react if something happens. I'd be willing to bet that there is some statistical regularity to these crashes and that they are related to how closely cars are from one another at the time of an unexpected event. That being said, deer are always going to be deer. Sure you can slow down for them, but hitting a deer at 70 mph and hitting them at 60 doesn't make a whole lot of difference, does it? You're not supposed to swerve and you're not supposed to slam on the brakes in traffic, so chances are good that if one waltzes out in front of you and doesn't move, you're going to be involved in a collision.

Chezique

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 10:40 a.m.

Unfortunately deer don't follow any of the rules!

C. Davis

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 10:17 a.m.

I agree with FormerlyAA,as well. These accidents are caused more by "impaired" or distracted drivers.

robyn

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 10:13 a.m.

I see adults driving just as badly ad young people... The most aggressive drivers seem to be older - usually men, but I see a lot of women driving aggressively too. Tail gating, cutting in and out of traffic, driving well over the speed limit... I agree - leave five minutes earlier and you won't need to make up the time on the freeway. Unfortunately, I think that Mad Max driving mentality takes over as soon as some people get in their vehicle - 5 minutes, 10, a half hour - wouldn't make a difference - they'd still drive like jerks!

arbor315

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 10:10 a.m.

If anyone is interested in actual data, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compiles statistics. For 2009, there were 871 traffic fatalities in Michigan, 246 involving alcohol (28%) and 205 involving speeding (24%). There's no state-level data for general distracted driving, but there are national reports. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/STSI/26_MI/2009/26_MI_2009.htm

jcj

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 9:36 a.m.

Gotta agree with FormerlyAA. 70 MPH speed limit is not the problem. But part of the problem is that few obey that speed limit. And distractions are manified at higher speeds. There are too many that try to multi task while driving. When they could not walk to work without walking into a pole! And what is with the numbskulls (mostly young women) that have to prop their left leg up on the door or dash while driving? Where was that taught? Couple this with the fact that people are too lazy to get their behinds out of the house in time to get to work by driving the speed limit. There are

FormerlyAA

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 9 a.m.

Speed is not the issue. It's driver distraction (ie texting, eating, makeup). Drivers do not know how to flow with traffic, merging. Enforcement of reckless driving is needed, not speed traps.

a2phiggy

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 8:54 a.m.

It seems that this is a frequent headline - at what point do we consider bringing back speed limits of 55 or 60? A2.com, could you investigate what, if any, impact the 70 MPH zones have had? I don't know of other metro areas that have such 'generous' speed limits - these roads, including on/off ramps, were simply not designed for it.