Highway Safety | Video

Chris Williams | 6/25/2012

It`s no surprise the amount of traffic in Williston is increasing, and more traffic means more accidents.

"I was driving to the golf course just north of town. On the way out, there`s a rear end collision, and my grandson and I said, `There`s another accident,` thought nothing of it and drove on by. Coming back two hours later there was another one,” said Williston resident Bruce Kaiser.

According to North Dakota Highway Patrol, there have been 52 fatal car accidents in 2012.

"I think some people are taking some chances, when they get an opportunity to, and sometimes that can result in a crash,” said Captain Alan Billehus with the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The Highway Patrol is adding five new troopers to the area at the end of July. Billehus hopes that helps cut down on accidents, but he says drivers generally control their own fate.

"You`ve just got to pay attention to your driving. Stay off the cell phones, stay off if you`ve got a computer or whatever in your car, stay off that sort of stuff. Concentrate on driving.”

Officials say 28 percent of accidents are caused by people talking or texting on their phone.

"Anything can happen it just a matter of seconds, and if your attention is diverted to a cell phone or a text message or something like that can be that fatal two seconds. Like I said, concentrate on driving,” Billehus added.

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