A variety of factors — including high gasoline prices — are credited for a decline in traffic deaths in Surry County and across the state.

North Carolina Transportation Secretary Gene Conti announced this week that traffic-related fatalities in North Carolina decreased by more than 17 percent last year.

The trend was even greater in Surry County, where the number of traffic deaths fell from 18 during 2007 to 10 in 2008, a decline of 44 percent. The city of Mount Airy had no fatalities in 2007, but two last year.

In commenting on the general trend of fewer highway deaths locally and statewide, Lt. Jim Armbrister of the Mount Airy Police Department cited several reasons for the downturn.

Among then are stepped-up enforcement efforts, including statewide campaigns such as “Booze it and Lose It” and “Click It or Ticket.” The N.C. Highway Patrol presently is conducting “Operation Slow Down,” which ends Sunday. Local law enforcement agencies regularly take part in checkpoints through such campaigns.

“Just the fact of people wearing their seat belts keeps accidents and severe injuries down,” Armbrister said of the positive results from efforts that have made the public more compliant with restraint laws. He said officers have taken both proactive and reactive steps to tackle chronic problems such as speeding.

Armbrister, who has analyzed local traffic-accident patterns through his work in the Community Services Division of the Police Department and helps teach pursuit driving to officers at Surry Community College, also referred to another positive factor concerning fatalities.

Ironically, that factor is gasoline prices, which caused motorists much grief when they hit the $4-per-gallon mark at times during 2008, but played a direct role in making highways safer.

“That’s part of it, when there were periods where there was less traffic on the roads,” said Armbrister. “A lot of people stayed closer to home, and took less long trips.”

Vehicle miles traveled in Surry County declined in both 2008 and 2007 compared to the previous two years, according to N.C. Department of Transportation figures.

Last year, 1,616 motor vehicle crashes occurred in the county, with 1,690 reported for 2007. The 10 fatalities in 2008 in Surry represent the lowest figure for any year since 2000. The highest annual total for that period was the 23 traffic deaths listed for the county in 2002.

Based on N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles figures, traffic-related fatalities statewide decreased from 1,705 to 1,406 between 2007 and 2008, with alcohol-related deaths declining 19.8 percent during the same period, from 489 to 392. Motorcycle fatalities fell 26 percent, from 192 to 142.

“This decrease is significant and demonstrates what can be accomplished when state and local agencies work together to make North Carolina a safer place to travel,” said Conti, the state transportation secretary.

Traffic-related fatalities are down about 12 percent so far in 2009 compared to this time last year, according to the DMV, which could be a sign of the weaker economy.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 37,313 people were fatally injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the U.S. in 2008. The nation also saw the lowest fatality rate ever recorded in 2008, at 1.28 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from 1.36 in 2007.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.