Vehicle accidents up from last year

MAT-SU -- Despite winter's late arrival in the Mat-Su Valley, the past few months have taken their toll on motorists.

Even without the accumulation of much snow in Southcentral Alaska, the frequently contributing factors of icy roads, alcohol and moose have resulted in the same number, and in some cases more, motor vehicle accidents as last year.

According to the Alaska State Troopers, nearly 120 motor vehicle accidents occurred during the month of October in the Mat-Su Valley area, compared to about 160 last October.

In November, the number of Valley vehicle accidents actually surpassed last year's statistics with 158 compared to 135. Before the first week of December was through, there were 11 more vehicle crashes.

Some of the Valley's most recent accidents have been the deadliest. A 21-year-old man died earlier this month after the vehicle he was riding in hit an electric power pole. Alcohol was suspected to be a factor.

According to troopers, alcohol-related accidents are up from last year -- seven in October compared to four the year before and five in November, up from three in 2001.

In December's second fatal accident, in which troopers don't believe alcohol was a factor, a driver apparently lost control of her vehicle and slid into oncoming traffic on the Parks Highway near Big Lake. Three Valley residents were killed in the resulting three-car crash.

Department of Transportation officials warned earlier this winter that while there wasn't much snow on the roads, there has been no shortage of ice. In the Northern Susitna Valley, roads have been particularly dangerous.

"Sand usage, especially on the northern part of the Parks, is way up," Kurt Devon, Mat-Su area superintendent for DOT, said in an earlier Frontiersman article.

The mild winter has so far reduced the number of one kind of vehicle accident -- moose roadkills. So far this year, just 36 moose have been killed by motor vehicles. Typically by this time of year, the number is nearing 100. In 1998, a particularly bad year for roadkills, 130 moose had been hit on Valley roads by early January.

The lack of snow this winter had allowed the animals to stay in higher alpine areas later into the season and so stay out of the way of motorists.

"The moose haven't moved down into the winter grounds so they're not in people's yards or on the roadways," said Gino Del Frate, the new area wildlife biologist in the Palmer office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

With winter's final arrival, however, drivers can expect to see more moose. Even during a normal winter, the weeks following Christmas are generally among the worst for roadkills, and this year that may be even more true.

Del Frate said the animals have yet to arrive in the Palmer Hay Flats but they are beginning to move that away, which means they are crossing the Parks Highway and other major roads in the Susitna Valley.

Increasing the hazards, moose often travel at dusk and dawn, during hours of high traffic congestion, and the roads have been slick in these areas.

"The roads have been really icy. It's hard to slow down," Del Frate said.

The biologist said motorists often see a moose and keep driving at their normal rate of speed, not recognizing that the animal could decide to turn back onto the roadway or that it could be accompanied by one or two calves.

"That's what everybody should expect. If you see a moose cross the road, don't just keep watching that moose. Look for the moose that's following it," Del Frate said.

Del Frate had some other suggestions for motorists -- scrape all ice from windshields, keep windshields and headlights clean and watch for brake lights up ahead.

"You'll increase your chances that you're going to see what you're coming up on," he said.