The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va., Getting There column

Aug. 29--Deadly crashes have spiked this year's midpoint, and if the pace continues, more people could die in road accidents in 2016 than any year since 2007.

In a report by the National Safety Council, an estimated 19,100 people died in auto crashes nationwide during the first six months of this year, a 9 percent increase over the same period in 2015. Some 2.2 million people were injured in crashes during the first half of the year.

The council reports that the fatal crash increase started about two years ago, in late 2014. Fatal crashes in 2015 increased 8 percent over the previous year.

The council says a combination of factors (stronger economy and lower unemployment, along with lower gas prices) have created a situation where more people are driving, which could be tied to the increase in deadly crashes.

Expect UFO sightings soon

If you start seeing small flying objects zipping about sometime soon, fret not, the invasion is not upon us.

Those flying things are, in a sense, UFOs, but not of the alien sort.

Instead, it's the drones (unmanned flying objects) that are coming.

Today marks the beginning of a new federal "small drone" law allowing certified commercial pilots to operate unmanned aircraft of up to 55 pounds during the day, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Mark Warner.

The estimated multi-billion-dollar drone industry is expected to keep growing, and already the flying gadgets are used in real estate and insurance work as well as for agriculture and cinematography.

On that note, Virginia has a drone testing site, at the same place where there is an advanced automated vehicle test and study site: Virginia Tech. Tech's drone site is one of only six in the U.S. where the technology is studied and tested.

Do slugs need signs?

Stafford County wants to know if slugging commuters want destination signs at the Staffordboro and Mine Road park and ride lots off of Route 610.

Staffordboro already has designated slugging/carpool areas in the lot, which was expanded and redesigned in October 2014. But there are no destination signs--the slugging world works as its own organic entity, so it's hard to rope them in with things like signs.

The Virginia Department of Transportation looked into adding destination signage at Staffordboro not long after the revamped lot opened, but decided not to make any changes.

Since there still seems to be interest in such signage, Stafford is conducting the survey, which can be found on the county's webpage.

Scott Shenk: 540/374-5436

[email protected]

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