POLICE TARGET ACCIDENT-PRONE AREAS

Cape Girardeau police records show the flooding of 1993 caused damage to cars as well as to property and homes.

Motorists slowing to take a look at the rising backwaters of the Mississippi River overflowing in the Diversion Channel were the cause of a number of accidents on Interstate 55 between Route 74 and the Nash Road exit this past year.

That particular stretch of roadway did not make the police top 10 most accident-prone areas list in 1992; in 1993, it was number one.

"I guess there are just too many distractions for motorists along that stretch," said Sgt. Al Moore, head of the traffic division of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. "If it wasn't the flooding, then people were distracted by the airplanes flying in and out of the (Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport)."

Police worked 39 accidents along that particular stretch of Interstate 55 last year -- the highest number of accidents along the interstate within Cape Girardeau's jurisdiction since it was annexed about five years ago.

Police records show the same stretch of interstate was the scene of the most injury accidents for 1993, as well.

Other major trouble spots for motorists in the past year were the junctions of Interstate 55 with Route K and Interstate 55 at North Kingshighway.

Efforts are under way in both these areas to ease traffic flow.

The Wal-Mart Supercenter has widened the lanes leading to the store on the Cape Girardeau side. When the roadwork is complete, traffic lights will be erected near the entrance and exits to the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Proof of the effectiveness of the road construction near Wal-Mart can be seen in a comparison of the total number of accidents in 1992 when there were 43 crashes, and in 1993 when police worked 36 accidents near the store. In 1992, the junction of Interstate 55 and Route K topped the accident list; in 1993, it was second.

"We expect the traffic lights will do a lot to straighten things out there by Wal-Mart," said Moore.

North of the city, earth-moving work has almost been completed, to clear the view of motorists exiting the interstate, turning south on Kingshighway.

The next two intersections with the greatest numbers of accidents over the past year are Route K at Mt. Auburn and the intersection of William and Kingshighway.

"Those are two intersections with just about the heaviest traffic flow inside the city," said Moore. "William at Kingshighway was the busiest intersection in the city until Wal-Mart and the mall opened along Route K. Now we're seeing a lot of traffic coming off the interstate to use the hotels, restaurants and shopping facilities."

Broadway -- from about Kingshighway to West End Boulevard -- is littered with trouble spots.

When the roadway splits into four lanes between Kingshighway and Walker Avenue, motorists somehow feel compelled to become involved in accidents. Southeast Missouri Hospital traffic between Park Avenue and West End Boulevard also contributed its share to accidents along Broadway.

Although further down on the top-accident list, the few-block stretch of William between Plaza Way and Sheridan Drive continues to be a trouble spot. Motorists leaving or entering the Town Plaza or the Antique Mall across William caused 17 accidents in 1993; three with injuries.

Police records show injury accidents were more likely to occur at intersections where speed limits were higher, or at intersections with several lanes of traffic regulated by stop lights.

"A lot of the accidents we had this past year were rear-end collisions or were caused by a motorist failing to yield the right-of-way," said Moore. "If people paid more attention and practiced defensive driving, there would be a lot fewer accidents every year."

The areas with the greatest number of injury accidents were at junctions with Interstate 55, at intersections along Broadway and in certain spots along Kingshighway.

"We have the greatest number of accidents in the high-volume traffic areas," said Moore. "People will get in a hurry and run yellow lights that are turning red, and the next thing you know we've got an accident on our hands."