My original intention for this piece was to write about the increase in motor vehicle accidents in 2022, but the idea for this article changed after I discovered some interesting statistics. After talking to Deputy Brittni Arnold, the new School Resource Officer at Victor Senior high, it was disclosed to me that the accidents didn’t actually go through an increase in 2022, but instead had increased in 2021. 

Between January 1st and December 31st of 2021, there were 327 personal injury accidents, 41 accidents of unknown causes, 111 rollover accidents, meaning that one or more cars rolled over onto the side or top of the car, and 1,570 property damage accidents, resulting in a whopping 2,421 motor vehicle accidents in the High Street area in 2021.

2022, however, showed a decrease in accidents since 2021. As of December 14th of 2022, there have been 320 personal injury accidents, 335 accidents of unknown causes, 147 rollover accidents, and 1,493 property damage related accidents, resulting in a total of 2,295 total motor vehicle accidents in the High Street area in 2022. 

When talking to Deputy Arnold, we discussed the possible reasons for the large number of MVAs in 2021, and much of our speculation was related to COVID – 19. The reason behind this is that not only were people getting back into driving after a year of being essentially housebound, but there was also a decrease in students who rode the bus.

After 2020, many parents, mine included, didn’t feel comfortable sending their kids on the schoolbus, due to the fear of their children contracting COVID – 19. Because of this, more parents began to drive their kids to school, resulting in an increase in traffic in and around the Victor campus.

The campus is especially busy between 7:25 and 7:35 AM. I get driven to school, and yesterday, when I got to school at 7:30 there were long lines of cars both to get into campus and to get dropped off at the North Entrance, but when I arrived at 7:15, I was able to cruise right in with only one car in front of me.

The increase in traffic at Victor, especially in the mornings, is very likely a big part of the number of motor vehicle accidents in the areas surrounding the school. Many people have noticed the number of MVAs this school year, and that may be due to the fact that more of them are rollover accidents, which may often cause a larger commotion, but that doesn’t mean this is a new issue.

While less than in 2021, there were still a lot of traffic accidents around the school in 2022. If you want to keep yourself and others safe, and prevent potentially life-altering motor vehicle accidents, please do your part by getting to school early, taking the bus, or carpooling, as well as staying attentive on the road.