Collisions on Highway 17 continue to skyrocket, wiping out nearly a 20-year trend of fewer crashes and deaths on the unforgiving 26 miles of twists and steep turns from Scotts Valley to Los Gatos.
And the future looks bleak despite millions spent on dozens of road and safety improvements. Traffic is projected to rise from 64,000 today to 74,000 by 2040. More cars and SUVs could lead to more fender benders and worse.
“Highway 17 can be a scary road to drive because the people who do commute it on a regular basis make it feel like a race track,” said Denice Austin of Ben Lomond.
High collision rates on Highway 17 precipitated the formation of the Safe on 17 Task Force in 1999. It was convened to identify conditions and behaviors contributing to collisions on the corridor and to recommend solutions. The task force drew from a broad set of strategies that would reduce the high collision rate. Crashes fell by 40%.
But over the last three years, the number of fatal and injury collisions on Highway 17 has increased substantially.
In 2018, the number of fatality and injury collisions was 8.5% higher than the preprogram average each year of 249 between 1996 and 1998. The most recent three-year average of fatal and injury collisions is 258, which does not meet the goal of the Task Force to maintain the reduced three-year collision rate average achieved of 165 injury and fatal collisions.
High numbers of crashes and fatalities in the 1990s spurred a safety campaign that led to nearly $250 million in spending since 2003 on various roadway improvements, including median barriers, wider shoulders, anti-skid pavement, flashing warning signs and tree removal. It was spurred by a particularly bloody 1996 that saw 793 crashes, 151 injuries and nine deaths.
Those numbers dropped dramatically until recent years. There were 983 collisions in 2016 during a winter of heavy rains and reduced enforcement, producing the highest tally since the intensive safety campaign kicked off.
“We need to reduce vehicle accidents along this particular stretch of highway,” said State Sen. Jim Beall. “Ensuring our roads are in top condition for fire and rescue crewRead More – Source
