The intersection of Granger and Ortonville roads in Brandon Township, along with the ramp from north I-75 and Grange Hall Road in Groveland Township, top the area in traffic accidents for the past five years according to a report issued by the Southeast Michigan Traffic Crash Facts and SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
‘These may not be the most dangerous intersections. One of the reasons there are more crashes is due to a higher number of vehicles passing through,? said Tom Bruff, transportation engineer with SEMCOG.
‘These townships are in a growing area in both population and development? traffic is going to increase as a result of the growth–thus more crashes.?
Information for the report was provided by the Michigan Department of State Police and the Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIC). These data are combined with crash data from previous years to illustrate trends and provide a more complete picture of traffic crashes in Southeast Michigan, says Bruff.
‘The five-year trend, in Brandon and Groveland townships, parallels that of the rest of Oakland Township with an overall decrease in accidents. A high use of seat belts, along with coalitions working toward drivers safety has help reduce the accidents through the years.?
According to the report, traffic crashes dropped by 23 percent, in Brandon Township and 16 percent in Groveland Township between 2001 and 2005. Crashes decreased Oakland county-wide by about 8 percent. Twenty-two percent of all crashes in both townships over the past five years were car-deer related.
Sgt. Lynne Walker, a 21-year veteran of the Michigan State Police, currently stationed at the Groveland Post says a combination of grants and special patrols has helped reducing the crashes.
‘We have mobilitations such as, ‘Click-it-or-Ticket? at least two times per year and more visablity on the roads,? said Lynne. ‘The special enforcement when school starts or college students are on I-75 is also very effective. We also focus on angry drivers or road rage.?