Accidents on 466 (and other areas)

[terrieb]

We heard about what happened on Sunday night at Buena Vista and 466 with the low flying helicopters, overturned car etc. Then yesterday, 12/4, we were on our way to Sumter Landing for dinner around 4:30p when there were many sirens, EMS's, farther on up 466 as we were attempting to get on Morse Blvd, took a detour down another road and I am wondering (as a prospective buyer in the Villages), is this a norm in the Villages? I know where there are people there are accidents but these accidents seem to be "extreme" accidents vs. "fender-benders". More people living here than back home but I am wondering with so many drivers 55+ of various skills or skills where maybe they should not be driving anymore, maybe the accidents would be more frequent. We are currently doing our research for moving to the Villages and having been here before in December, this place seems so much busier than we remember.....is the population growing that fast here? Like I said, just doing our research like the rest of you did before you moved here.

[army one]

Sorry, but this doesn't even deserve an answer. Sounds like you are trying to stir up something that doesn't exist. There are more than 80,000 that live here and there are public roadways that run thru The Villages. You are assuming, by the tone of your post, that all the accidents that occur here are the fault of older drivers. Get A GRIP

[red tail]

Sorry, but this doesn't even deserve an answer. Sounds like you are trying to stir up something that doesn't exist. There are more than 80,000 that live here and there are public roadways that run thru The Villages. You are assuming, by the tone of your post, that all the accidents that occur here are the fault of older drivers. Get A GRIP



:agree:

[KathieI]

Sorry, but this doesn't even deserve an answer. Sounds like you are trying to stir up something that doesn't exist. There are more than 80,000 that live here and there are public roadways that run thru The Villages. You are assuming, by the tone of your post, that all the accidents that occur here are the fault of older drivers. Get A GRIP


:agree: DITTO!!!

[Bogie Shooter]

We heard about what happened on Sunday night at Buena Vista and 466 with the low flying helicopters, overturned car etc. Then yesterday, 12/4, we were on our way to Sumter Landing for dinner around 4:30p when there were many sirens, EMS's, farther on up 466 as we were attempting to get on Morse Blvd, took a detour down another road and I am wondering (as a prospective buyer in the Villages), is this a norm in the Villages? I know where there are people there are accidents but these accidents seem to be "extreme" accidents vs. "fender-benders". More people living here than back home but I am wondering with so many drivers 55+ of various skills or skills where maybe they should not be driving anymore, maybe the accidents would be more frequent. We are currently doing our research for moving to the Villages and having been here before in December, this place seems so much busier than we remember.....is the population growing that fast here? Like I said, just doing our research like the rest of you did before you moved here.

This part of your research is incorrect. Yes, it is busier more folks are moving to TV every day. Hope you find what you are looking for and the next time you post .................we can welcome you to TV.

[OldDave]

Terri, I think your question is perfectly reasonable. I don't live there yet, so I cannot answer it. What I can tell you is that a significant number of people on this site get their dander up if you even suggest anything about TV isn't perfect. I continue to be amazed by that.

This question isn't worth a response? Then why did you respond. And why are you folks rude to someone who is obviously new and considering moving here.

We spent last June renting a house there. That is our only trip thus far. My understanding is that is the slowest time of the year. What we found was some pretty heavy traffic in a few areas, but mostly pretty light. There were a couple of things that were difficult. First and foremost the roundabouts or traffic circles. These in themselves are a good idea. They are prettier and less city-like than signals. But for some reason they are two lane circles. My guess is the traffic is heavy enough in the winter to justify it. The biggest problem I saw was that in most areas, you were allowed to make a right turn into a neighborhood from the left lane or the right line. But there was no indication that you had to turn from the right, as opposed to going straight. There are signs showing this, but they really don't make sense. I don't see any way to safely turn right from a left lane if the traffic in the right lane goes straight.

I don't know what happened in that accident. Someone mentioned the paper, but I didn't find anything in the on-line version. I will say that overall my wife and I were surprised at how fast many drivers were going both on the streets and the cart paths. For a community designed to be relaxing and enjoyable, I'm not sure why everyone was in such a hurry.

If I had to speculate on driving safety in TV, I would point to how tightly so many people are packed into the area there. Also, I've read a lot of comments here about snow birds causing some problems because they don't get used to driving here. I don't know if there is any validity to that.

As to the safety of older drivers, most of the research I've seen points to older folks as actually being safer and having less accidents. Of course there is always the person who should no longer be driving that runs over someone or hits gas instead of the brake. My feeling is that is one of the real reasons for all the golf carts here, so those people can get around, without driving a 4,000 pound car. Of course it seems there are a great many golf cart accidents, but the injuries generally seem much, much less serious.

Finally I would say during our month there we heard of no serious accidents and have heard of very few on here in the two years I've been reading it. It sounds like this was just a very bad week. Again, I don't know what happened Sunday.

Best of luck Terri.

[Golf-Tinker]

Routes 466 and 466A as well as Morse and Buena Vista Boulevards are often used as convenient drive throughs by workers, residents and visitors from surrounding communities, and frequently they drive fast without knowledge of or regard for the posted speed limits within The Villages.

[graciegirl]

Terri, I think your question is perfectly reasonable. I don't live there yet, so I cannot answer it. What I can tell you is that a significant number of people on this site get their dander up if you even suggest anything about TV isn't perfect. I continue to be amazed by that.

This question isn't worth a response? Then why did you respond. And why are you folks rude to someone who is obviously new and considering moving here.

We spent last June renting a house there. That is our only trip thus far. My understanding is that is the slowest time of the year. What we found was some pretty heavy traffic in a few areas, but mostly pretty light. There were a couple of things that were difficult. First and foremost the roundabouts or traffic circles. These in themselves are a good idea. They are prettier and less city-like than signals. But for some reason they are two lane circles. My guess is the traffic is heavy enough in the winter to justify it. The biggest problem I saw was that in most areas, you were allowed to make a right turn into a neighborhood from the left lane or the right line. But there was no indication that you had to turn from the right, as opposed to going straight. There are signs showing this, but they really don't make sense. I don't see any way to safely turn right from a left lane if the traffic in the right lane goes straight.

I don't know what happened in that accident. Someone mentioned the paper, but I didn't find anything in the on-line version. I will say that overall my wife and I were surprised at how fast many drivers were going both on the streets and the cart paths. For a community designed to be relaxing and enjoyable, I'm not sure why everyone was in such a hurry.

If I had to speculate on driving safety in TV, I would point to how tightly so many people are packed into the area there. Also, I've read a lot of comments here about snow birds causing some problems because they don't get used to driving here. I don't know if there is any validity to that.

As to the safety of older drivers, most of the research I've seen points to older folks as actually being safer and having less accidents. Of course there is always the person who should no longer be driving that runs over someone or hits gas instead of the brake. My feeling is that is one of the real reasons for all the golf carts here, so those people can get around, without driving a 4,000 pound car. Of course it seems there are a great many golf cart accidents, but the injuries generally seem much, much less serious.

Finally I would say during our month there we heard of no serious accidents and have heard of very few on here in the two years I've been reading it. It sounds like this was just a very bad week. Again, I don't know what happened Sunday.

Best of luck Terri.

I defend the curt answers above because we have an enormous pride in living here and because it hurts to have someone say we drive unsafely because we are older.

It is clearly a dangerous place to drive during the high season and our population is increasing rapidly.

AND people bring with them different ways of driving. I think some people who have taken public transportation a lot in their lives are not as comfortable or as skilled as the farm boys who have driven since they were ten or twelve...and some folks are used to living in heavily congested areas and drive like race car drivers. AND some people look at stop signs and yield signs as only suggestions.

I welcome you to this wonderful place that is now my year 'round home and I ask you and every other person who drives here to be careful, familarize yourself with the way roundabouts work, don't exceed the speed limits, drive defensively and cautiously. Many people who I have grown to love are out on the roads including my love of 50 years.

[terrieb]

Sorry I did not mean to ruffle anyone's feathers. I too am a senior citizen but one that intends on going through a lenghtly process of selling my current house and then possibly buying in the Villages, supposedly the friendly town. This is my sixth visit to the Villages - came in June, came in August, and then the other times in December. Have not been here in January yet which I understand is very busy with so many renters and snowbirds here to camp out during the winter months. It just seems that there have been so many accidents since our arrival that my concern is maybe this is just too busy of an area that I would care to live in as the Villages grows to build out. That's why I am visiting here so much. I want to get a feel of the place to see if I want to call it home for the rest of my senior life. I appreciate the comments OldDave (my husband's name is Dave) and Golf Tinker. I apologize to the rest of you.

[DDoug]

To be honest I'm surprised that the insurance companies haven't raised our rates here in TV yet. The biggest thing is everyone wants to direct traffic and go against the traffic laws. Sorry but it's the truth watch for yourself when you drive and you will see it all the time. One thing how do you turn left from and on to a four lane road. Not many people on the road know that I've seen

[Figmo Bohica]

Stop signs and yield signs and traffic lights are only suggestions in Florida and turn signals are an option.

[rjm1cc]

Where I spent most of my life (NJ) we had a few traffic circles (Runabouts) and due to increasing traffic they have been removed. I think the problem might be more with the design of the road. It is not a good design for heavy traffic. They are fine if you are the only car entering.

[Jaggy]

To be honest I'm surprised that the insurance companies haven't raised our rates here in TV yet. The biggest thing is everyone wants to direct traffic and go against the traffic laws. Sorry but it's the truth watch for yourself when you drive and you will see it all the time. One thing how do you turn left from and on to a four lane road. Not many people on the road know that I've seen

we moved here from Jacksonville, FL and our rates went down in The Villages.

[Indydealmaker]

Sorry I did not mean to ruffle anyone's feathers. I too am a senior citizen but one that intends on going through a lenghtly process of selling my current house and then possibly buying in the Villages, supposedly the friendly town. This is my sixth visit to the Villages - came in June, came in August, and then the other times in December. Have not been here in January yet which I understand is very busy with so many renters and snowbirds here to camp out during the winter months. It just seems that there have been so many accidents since our arrival that my concern is maybe this is just too busy of an area that I would care to live in as the Villages grows to build out. That's why I am visiting here so much. I want to get a feel of the place to see if I want to call it home for the rest of my senior life. I appreciate the comments OldDave (my husband's name is Dave) and Golf Tinker. I apologize to the rest of you.

Terrieb,
I would love to see the statistics on the ages of those at fault for accidents here in The Villages. Maybe the POA can investigate that for us.

However, I suspect that what we are seeing are accidents caused by drivers who would be accident prone regardless of where they lived and drove. The Villages is just a highly populated relatively small area where the focus on any one accident is much greater (just like in a small town even though we are 80,000 strong). My guess is that our accident rates are normal for our population.

[Skybo]

One thing to keep in mind terrieb is that the sounds of sirens and presence of EMS vehicles and the helicopter does not necessarily indicate a serious accident, or even an accident at all. Minor accidents and medical events often involve fire trucks as first responders, followed up by EMS vehicles. The helicopter is also used for medical events that don't have anything to do with an accident. It seems to me that since I’ve lived here, there have been relatively few serious accidents for the size of the population. And I think that the mature population around here is, in general, a safer group of drivers than the young drivers encountered in other cities. Really young drivers are more likely to speed, tailgate and drive aggressively.

[Taltarzac725]

One thing to keep in mind terrieb is that the sounds of sirens and presence of EMS vehicles and the helicopter does not necessarily indicate a serious accident, or even an accident at all. Minor accidents and medical events often involve fire trucks as first responders, followed up by EMS vehicles. The helicopter is also used for medical events that don't have anything to do with an accident. It seems to me that since I’ve lived here, there have been relatively few serious accidents for the size of the population. And I think that the mature population around here is, in general, a safer group of drivers than the young drivers encountered in other cities. Really young drivers are more likely to speed, tailgate and drive aggressively.

This area seems a lot safer in terms of the number and severity of accidents when compared with other places I have lived especially the Tampa Bay area around US19 where I often saw a serious accident every week the 9 years or so I lived there.

The golf carts mixing with the licensed motor vehicles does take a lot to get used to and many Villagers do seem to drive with some abandon of the rules of safety and commeon courtesy.

You just have to be careful when driving around golf carts, walkers, dog walkers, inline skaters, bicyclists, motorcycles, scooters, turtles, gators, ducks, etc.

They have lowered the speeding limit to just 20 m.p.h. in many parts of the Villages which helps.

[duffysmom]

Welcome to Florida... I've lived in several areas in Florida that were beautiful therefore attractive to tourists and traffic has been a problem. We adjusted to the flow and we do the same here. When you travel to the coasts of Florida you will see tons of traffic and consequently accidents. That's the price you pay for basking in the sunshine. We live very active lives and haven't found it to be a problem just an inconvenience at times.

Golf carts are another issue since anyone can drive them. In the past five years there have been 10 fatalities according to POA statistics. Driving my cart to shopping areas as well as restaurants is one of my favorite activities.
Even after years of living here we feel privileged to be living the dream.:pepper2: Come on down!!!

[OldDave]

10 fatalities in golf carts? I had no idea. Where most of these involving a car?

[Bogie Shooter]

10 fatalities in golf carts? I had no idea. Where most of these involving a car?

No. You can find all the POA Bulletins here that have the accident reporting.
Property Owners, Association of Florida (http://www.poa4us.org/)

[Cantwaittoarrive]

I think if you go to any city of 80,000 + people no matter what the average age is you will have several accidents a day (not just car accidents but home based accidents like cuts, falls and e.t.c.) I think age has very little to do with it. I think it's just a numbers game. Plus the roads are public not just TV residents so that number goes up. I actually think the nuber of accidents (that I know about) are low when you consider the volume of traffic. Also I read once that the first recorded fatal car accident happened in a city that had just 2 cars and they colided at an intersection in the middle of the city, I don't remember what city, so I think you give people a way to hurt themselves and they will suceed no matter how old or young they are!

[rubicon]

Sorry I did not mean to ruffle anyone's feathers. I too am a senior citizen but one that intends on going through a lenghtly process of selling my current house and then possibly buying in the Villages, supposedly the friendly town. This is my sixth visit to the Villages - came in June, came in August, and then the other times in December. Have not been here in January yet which I understand is very busy with so many renters and snowbirds here to camp out during the winter months. It just seems that there have been so many accidents since our arrival that my concern is maybe this is just too busy of an area that I would care to live in as the Villages grows to build out. That's why I am visiting here so much. I want to get a feel of the place to see if I want to call it home for the rest of my senior life. I appreciate the comments OldDave (my husband's name is Dave) and Golf Tinker. I apologize to the rest of you.

terrieb: In a Little Racalesque manner I say Äh Shucks"" don't worry about those guys there just the usual politically correct villages squad"" that believe it is their life's work to defend all things that are The Villages

[Ripcord13]

Terri, I think your question is perfectly reasonable. I don't live there yet, so I cannot answer it. What I can tell you is that a significant number of people on this site get their dander up if you even suggest anything about TV isn't perfect. I continue to be amazed by that.

This question isn't worth a response? Then why did you respond. And why are you folks rude to someone who is obviously new and considering moving here.

We spent last June renting a house there. That is our only trip thus far. My understanding is that is the slowest time of the year. What we found was some pretty heavy traffic in a few areas, but mostly pretty light. There were a couple of things that were difficult. First and foremost the roundabouts or traffic circles. These in themselves are a good idea. They are prettier and less city-like than signals. But for some reason they are two lane circles. My guess is the traffic is heavy enough in the winter to justify it. The biggest problem I saw was that in most areas, you were allowed to make a right turn into a neighborhood from the left lane or the right line. But there was no indication that you had to turn from the right, as opposed to going straight. There are signs showing this, but they really don't make sense. I don't see any way to safely turn right from a left lane if the traffic in the right lane goes straight.

I don't know what happened in that accident. Someone mentioned the paper, but I didn't find anything in the on-line version. I will say that overall my wife and I were surprised at how fast many drivers were going both on the streets and the cart paths. For a community designed to be relaxing and enjoyable, I'm not sure why everyone was in such a hurry.

If I had to speculate on driving safety in TV, I would point to how tightly so many people are packed into the area there. Also, I've read a lot of comments here about snow birds causing some problems because they don't get used to driving here. I don't know if there is any validity to that.

As to the safety of older drivers, most of the research I've seen points to older folks as actually being safer and having less accidents. Of course there is always the person who should no longer be driving that runs over someone or hits gas instead of the brake. My feeling is that is one of the real reasons for all the golf carts here, so those people can get around, without driving a 4,000 pound car. Of course it seems there are a great many golf cart accidents, but the injuries generally seem much, much less serious.

Finally I would say during our month there we heard of no serious accidents and have heard of very few on here in the two years I've been reading it. It sounds like this was just a very bad week. Again, I don't know what happened Sunday.

Best of luck Terri.

You can't upset the Kool Aid Drinkers on this forum that's a No No

[Bogie Shooter]

10 fatalities in golf carts? I had no idea. Where most of these involving a car?

Found this old thread:
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/ten-dead-villagers-golf-carts-50007/

[Jim 9922]

Also I read once that the first recorded fatal car accident happened in a city that had just 2 cars and they colided at an intersection in the middle of the city, I don't remember what city, so I think you give people a way to hurt themselves and they will suceed no matter how old or young they are!

They were probably old people who were snowbirds in a roundabout in a local city called The Villages!


JUST KIDDING!!:pepper2:

[Yorio]

Does anyone know what really happened? We were on the way to Savannah for the 6 o'clock performance but couldn't get through and police asked us to turn around. Looked like pretty bad accident and next day Daily Sun mentioned that two were taken by helicopter for this three car collision. Wished Daily Sun could have explained how the accident happened so we would avoid whatever happened to them when we cross or turn on 466 as we do often.

[cquick]

of course there are automobile accidents in The Villages.....almost 85,000 people live here..... I personally think there are significantly fewer car accidents here than any other city you could name with a population that large........

and remember, there are many other smaller retirement communities to buy into withing 30 miles of The Villages, but none of them have the same amenities or the same ambiance as TV.

[NotGolfer]

Remember folks that 466, 441, 466a are all arterial highways that come through our community. MORE than just Villages residents use these! IF someone runs a light for instance you can bet there will be an accident of some kind. We have other communities very near us----Lady Lake, Leesburg, Wildwood for instance. Some of those folks come through as well. I know of many workers here in TV that live in Ocala and other communities. So don't blame the "old folks" for all of the accidents as I'd bet there are some folks from these who have been in some of them

My BIL works for a 911 in another state...he told us that the fire-trucks will always be the 1st responders as they carry the EMT's. The ambulance follows in case they need to transport. If there is a helicopter involved---they'll carry anyone who may have a traumatic injury to a hospital that's equipped for that.

We moved here from a small midwestern town of 12,000 population...I will tell you we heard sirens throughout the day and night there as well. Just saying.....

I don't know where the OP is coming from but I would ask....are there firetrucks, ambulances and police in his community?? There are more things to investigate about moving than the question posted here in my opinion.

[mrfixit]

Stop signs and yield signs and traffic lights are only suggestions in Florida
and TURN SIGNALS ARE AN OPTION.

Some people activate their turn signals a little early....

"" I told the nice policeman.....(after I was broadsided making a left)
...."I don't know why that dang fool tried to PASS me when I was turning...
........He should have known I was going to turn..
............I had my left blinker on for at least 2 miles.""

Direct QUOTE from my wife's Grandmom.

She drove 44 miles per hour IN the city and on the HIGHWAYS.
She said "it" (her BIG A$$ Buick) just felt right at 44 miles per hour.
(Accident happened on a 2 lane rural 55 MPH zone in the middle of nowhere....
...albeit this was 40 years ago,
.... we still see this all too often in 2012)

[Happinow]

Stop signs and yield signs and traffic lights are only suggestions in Florida and turn signals are an option.

Oh so true.....

[Madelaine Amee]

We heard about what happened on Sunday night at Buena Vista and 466 with the low flying helicopters, overturned car etc.

This morning's Daily Sun has the story on the roll over accident which happened at the junction of 466 this past weekend. A 22 year old female has been cited for running a red light which caused the major pile up.

So to all those posters who worry so much about us old people being too old to drive, fear not, it's the youngsters you have to worry about!

Also, this past Monday, we were on 466 on our way back from Sam's Club when we saw a small red car jump the red light at the intersection of 466 and Morse Blvd, luckily the big SUV coming out of Morse was able to stop before hitting the very small red vehicle ............... The driver of the SUV was obviously very shaken, but continued on their way.

[senior citizen]

We heard about what happened on Sunday night at Buena Vista and 466 with the low flying helicopters, overturned car etc. Then yesterday, 12/4, we were on our way to Sumter Landing for dinner around 4:30p when there were many sirens, EMS's, farther on up 466 as we were attempting to get on Morse Blvd, took a detour down another road and I am wondering (as a prospective buyer in the Villages), is this a norm in the Villages? I know where there are people there are accidents but these accidents seem to be "extreme" accidents vs. "fender-benders". More people living here than back home but I am wondering with so many drivers 55+ of various skills or skills where maybe they should not be driving anymore, maybe the accidents would be more frequent. We are currently doing our research for moving to the Villages and having been here before in December, this place seems so much busier than we remember.....is the population growing that fast here? Like I said, just doing our research like the rest of you did before you moved here.

An excellent topic. We also wondered when we were there.

While in the Lifestyle Visit house on Merryweather Way near Lake Sumter Landing, our back yard picket fence location offered a good view of the "constantly running back and forth" ambulances. Never saw so many in our lives. This was late October. All of the month of November we were in Calumet Grove and didn't hear a thing.......but did see lots of speeders during that month of November..........then realized that they were "highways" or roads open to work trucks and others "flying through THE VILLAGES" ENROUTE TO SOMEPLACE ELSE. Not necessarily Villagers.

Can't even imagine what the "high season" or snowbird season must be like.

We occasionally will hear a siren, meaning an ambulance is rushing someone to our hospital.........but no where near that amount of accidents in our town. Our roads , when we travel, are for the most part EMPTY . We do have to watch out for deer and moose on the roads....so I guess that's our problem.

When people from Connecticut, Massachusetts or N.Y./N.J. come up here they love how EMPTY our roads are. Not to say that there never are accidents........but we do not have the density of population, and last few years of higher gasoline prices, less people seem to be out joy riding.

[senior citizen]

Terri, I think your question is perfectly reasonable. I don't live there yet, so I cannot answer it. What I can tell you is that a significant number of people on this site get their dander up if you even suggest anything about TV isn't perfect. I continue to be amazed by that.

This question isn't worth a response? Then why did you respond. And why are you folks rude to someone who is obviously new and considering moving here.

We spent last June renting a house there. That is our only trip thus far. My understanding is that is the slowest time of the year. What we found was some pretty heavy traffic in a few areas, but mostly pretty light. There were a couple of things that were difficult. First and foremost the roundabouts or traffic circles. These in themselves are a good idea. They are prettier and less city-like than signals. But for some reason they are two lane circles. My guess is the traffic is heavy enough in the winter to justify it. The biggest problem I saw was that in most areas, you were allowed to make a right turn into a neighborhood from the left lane or the right line. But there was no indication that you had to turn from the right, as opposed to going straight. There are signs showing this, but they really don't make sense. I don't see any way to safely turn right from a left lane if the traffic in the right lane goes straight.

I don't know what happened in that accident. Someone mentioned the paper, but I didn't find anything in the on-line version. I will say that overall my wife and I were surprised at how fast many drivers were going both on the streets and the cart paths. For a community designed to be relaxing and enjoyable, I'm not sure why everyone was in such a hurry.

If I had to speculate on driving safety in TV, I would point to how tightly so many people are packed into the area there. Also, I've read a lot of comments here about snow birds causing some problems because they don't get used to driving here. I don't know if there is any validity to that.

As to the safety of older drivers, most of the research I've seen points to older folks as actually being safer and having less accidents. Of course there is always the person who should no longer be driving that runs over someone or hits gas instead of the brake. My feeling is that is one of the real reasons for all the golf carts here, so those people can get around, without driving a 4,000 pound car. Of course it seems there are a great many golf cart accidents, but the injuries generally seem much, much less serious.

Finally I would say during our month there we heard of no serious accidents and have heard of very few on here in the two years I've been reading it. It sounds like this was just a very bad week. Again, I don't know what happened Sunday.

Best of luck Terri.

DAVE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. The naysayers must see it from the eyes of those coming for the first time. The traffic is nuts at times.........the roundabouts were filled with those NOT obeying the rules of entering, etc...........and we saw numerous speeders, disobeying the speed limits.

Original poster was just wondering and posting an honest inquiry, like the rest of us have..........in the past.

The roads were very very very attractive and well maintained, but TV doesn't have any control over the speeding cars.

I echo his "best of luck" wishes to Terri and others who arrive for the first time , perhaps from a smaller town where people actually wait for someone to cross in the crosswalk. TV IS HUGE.......those used to city driving will have no issues at all.....they are used to it.

[Bogie Shooter]

DAVE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. The naysayers must see it from the eyes of those coming for the first time. The traffic is nuts at times.........the roundabouts were filled with those NOT obeying the rules of entering, etc...........and we saw numerous speeders, disobeying the speed limits.

Original poster was just wondering and posting an honest inquiry, like the rest of us have..........in the past.

The roads were very very very attractive and well maintained, but TV doesn't have any control over the speeding cars.

I echo his "best of luck" wishes to Terri and others who arrive for the first time , perhaps from a smaller town where people actually wait for someone to cross in the crosswalk. TV IS HUGE.......those used to city driving will have no issues at all.....they are used to it.

Compared to what??

"The roads were very very very attractive and well maintained, but TV doesn't have any control over the speeding cars."

Has no control is a very broad statement. The county sheriff does have control over speeders.......maybe not as much as some would like, but there is control.

[senior citizen]

Compared to what??

"The roads were very very very attractive and well maintained, but TV doesn't have any control over the speeding cars."

Has no control is a very broad statement. The county sheriff does have control over speeders.......maybe not as much as some would like, but there is control.

Please see my earlier post, right above this one.......we also heard hordes of ambulances running back and forth constantly and could literally SEE THEM.
To a newcomer, it did seem to be an awful lot of accidents.

[Bogie Shooter]

Please see my earlier post, right above this one.......we also heard hordes of ambulances running back and forth constantly and could literally SEE THEM.
To a newcomer, it did seem to be an awful lot of accidents.

Did you know that if you call 911 because someone fell in the house; the EMT's and fire rescue both answer the call? A lot of sirens do not mean a lot of accidents! How many is a horde?

[senior citizen]

Did you know that if you call 911 because someone fell in the house; the EMT's and fire rescue both answer the call? A lot of sirens do not mean a lot of accidents! How many is a horde?

I would say a horde is more than we are used to hearing and seeing.
It was constant.

I did , at first , think that it was some unfortunate soul having a heart attack..........but after being there six weeks and seeing the speeders, felt it also had to be accidents galore.

It's relative.....depending on the area one comes from.

Our cousins in New Jersey (which we left in 1970) are always COMPLAINING ABOUT THE "CRAZIES" ON THE HIGHWAYS DOWN THERE WHEN THEY HAVE TO COMMUTE ON 95 WHICH IS THE N.J. TURNPIKE, OR ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY (BOTH OF WHICH WE REMEMBER QUITE WELL)........BUT NO ONE IS OSTRACIZING THEM FOR STATING A FACT.

Anyone who has driven to the Boston Massachusetts area also knows what TRAFFIC is like in and around cities.

We don't live in a city, but in a small isolated town of 12,000 souls.
So........it's a matter of how one perceives noise and traffic, I guess.

[ROCKETMAN]

The accident on 466 sunday night was caused by a 22 year old who went through a red light!!!

[OldDave]

Wouldn't a horde of ambulances have to be driven by relatives of Genghis Khan?

[senior citizen]

Wouldn't a horde of ambulances have to be driven by relatives of Genghis Khan?

No doubt about it........

Just out of curiousity, I looked up our accidents for the past ten years.

Bennington County. Average of six fatals every year for ten year period.

That is the entire county. More than I thought, however, not as many as Florida, as I do read the Orlando Sentinel.

Some of our fatals were caused by out of state novice truck drivers trying to cross our mountains on icy or snowy roads, going out of control and hittting innocent folks on steep declines/hairpin type turns.

Many others were caused by out of state speeders. Only a few caused by the elderly who passed out at the wheel.

in this section: 1995 - 1999 (http://www.weitzlux.com/caraccidentlawyer/vt/vermont/benningtoncounty_27922.html) | 2000 - 2004 (http://www.weitzlux.com/caraccidentlawyer/vt/vermont/benningtoncounty_27923.html)

Bennington County, Vermont (VT) Fatal Car Accident Statistics From a Car Accident Lawyer

Residents of Bennington County may be at risk of a car crash every time they get behind the wheel, but some places are statistically safer than others. In Bennington County, there was an average of 6 fatal car accidents every year over the past decade. Your best defense against avoiding a fatal car crash is to educate yourself and the ones you love about safe driving practices and to be aware of car accident statistics. Know about trouble spots and always drive defensively. To get information about car crashes in your area, please select the years you are interested in from the menu above.

[senior citizen]

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ALL I COULD FIND FOR TV. SO , THERE IS NOT A BIG DEAL TO WORRY ABOUT.
FATALITIES FROM TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS SEEM EXTREMELY LOW.....EVEN THOUGH TV ENCOMPASSES MANY COUNTIES.



Fatal road traffic accident statistics for 1975 - 2009 (per 100,000 population)
0
400
800
1,200
1,600
2,000
Count
Vehicles
Drunken Drivers
Fatalities
Persons
Pedestrians


The Villages
Florida average



The Villages, Florida:

Fatal accident count: 1
Vehicles involved in fatal accidents: 2
Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers: 0
Fatalities: 1
Persons involved in fatal accidents: 0
Pedestrians involved in fatal accidents: 0
Florida average:

Fatal accident count: 155
Vehicles involved in fatal accidents: 237
Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers: 50
Fatalities: 168
Persons involved in fatal accidents: 414
Pedestrians involved in fatal accidents: 27



The Villages fatal accident list:

Dec 9, 2007 01:30 PM, Bella Cruz, Banderos, Lat: 28.952236, Lon: -81.958986, Vehicles: 2, Fatalities: 1




Read more: The Villages, Florida (FL 32159) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders (http://www.city-data.com/city/The-Villages-Florida.html#ixzz2EHX3MdMH)

[spk7951]

According to the 2011 annual report from The Villages Public Safety Department during the time frame of October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011 the dept responded to 5,546 EMS (medical) calls. The #1 category was for Falls with Trauma at 951 calls. #9 on the list was Motor Vehicle Accidents, which includes golf carts, at 221 responses.

See pages 13 & 14 on the link below if you want more info.
Village Community Development Districts (http://www.districtgov.org/PDFView/PDFView.aspx?path=/departments/Public-Safety/AnnualReport2011.pdf&ql=publicsafety)

[perrjojo]

We heard about what happened on Sunday night at Buena Vista and 466 with the low flying helicopters, overturned car etc. Then yesterday, 12/4, we were on our way to Sumter Landing for dinner around 4:30p when there were many sirens, EMS's, farther on up 466 as we were attempting to get on Morse Blvd, took a detour down another road and I am wondering (as a prospective buyer in the Villages), is this a norm in the Villages? I know where there are people there are accidents but these accidents seem to be "extreme" accidents vs. "fender-benders". More people living here than back home but I am wondering with so many drivers 55+ of various skills or skills where maybe they should not be driving anymore, maybe the accidents would be more frequent. We are currently doing our research for moving to the Villages and having been here before in December, this place seems so much busier than we remember.....is the population growing that fast here? Like I said, just doing our research like the rest of you did before you moved here.

I don't think your question was unreasonable at all. The two accidents happening so close together seemed to be a coincendence and as you may have heard by now the Sunday accident was caused by a 22 year old running a red light. It is statistically proven that older drivers do cause more accidents though not as many as the youngest drivers. That is why many insurance companies raise their rates once a driver becomes 70. I find it particularly hazardous backing out of parking spaces here at the large parking lots. No, I am not bashing orders driver because I happen to be one but I am stating a reality. We have bicycles, golf carts and construction traffic added to the mix. My opinion is that one must be extra vigilant when driving here because there are many distractions but I do not think it is unsafe. I love living here and do not miss big city expressways at all. You are wise to look at all aspects of living in any new location and only YOU can decide what is best for YOU.

[jbdlfan]

Wow, are some folks so delusional as to think that the number of auto accidents doesn't increases with age. The two biggest age groups for accidents is under twenty and over 60! It's not a puzzle. 80,000 people and most are in the second age group is going to mean a chance for more car accidents. I will say thought, that it could be lower because many people only drive golf carts, but there are quite a few of those also. Geesh.....it's not an attack, it's just common sense and statistics. (I know, the next post will be something about how statistics lie....)

[2BNTV]

We heard about what happened on Sunday night at Buena Vista and 466 with the low flying helicopters, overturned car etc. Then yesterday, 12/4, we were on our way to Sumter Landing for dinner around 4:30p when there were many sirens, EMS's, farther on up 466 as we were attempting to get on Morse Blvd, took a detour down another road and I am wondering (as a prospective buyer in the Villages), is this a norm in the Villages? I know where there are people there are accidents but these accidents seem to be "extreme" accidents vs. "fender-benders". More people living here than back home but I am wondering with so many drivers 55+ of various skills or skills where maybe they should not be driving anymore, maybe the accidents would be more frequent. We are currently doing our research for moving to the Villages and having been here before in December, this place seems so much busier than we remember.....is the population growing that fast here? Like I said, just doing our research like the rest of you did before you moved here.

terrieb:
I would tend to think that one would be wise to learn how to negotiate roundabouts the proper way. Accidents are caused by many reasons. One would be wise to be aware and drive defensively no matter where they are.

IMHO -I sometimes get concerned when hearing of these accidents. No one can guaranteed they won't happen. I think the anount of accidents are small, compared to the population in TV. I would not accidents from stopping me from moving to TV. Like I said, accidents can happen anywhere.

[Cisco Kid]

I was told by my southern family that all the accidents in FL are caused by Yankees like me.

:beer3:

[Bogie Shooter]

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ALL I COULD FIND FOR TV. SO , THERE IS NOT A BIG DEAL TO WORRY ABOUT.
FATALITIES FROM TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS SEEM EXTREMELY LOW.....EVEN THOUGH TV ENCOMPASSES MANY COUNTIES.



Fatal road traffic accident statistics for 1975 - 2009 (per 100,000 population)
0
400
800
1,200
1,600
2,000
Count
Vehicles
Drunken Drivers
Fatalities
Persons
Pedestrians


The Villages
Florida average



The Villages, Florida:

Fatal accident count: 1
Vehicles involved in fatal accidents: 2
Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers: 0
Fatalities: 1
Persons involved in fatal accidents: 0
Pedestrians involved in fatal accidents: 0
Florida average:

Fatal accident count: 155
Vehicles involved in fatal accidents: 237
Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers: 50
Fatalities: 168
Persons involved in fatal accidents: 414
Pedestrians involved in fatal accidents: 27



The Villages fatal accident list:

Dec 9, 2007 01:30 PM, Bella Cruz, Banderos, Lat: 28.952236, Lon: -81.958986, Vehicles: 2, Fatalities: 1




Read more: The Villages, Florida (FL 32159) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders (http://www.city-data.com/city/The-Villages-Florida.html#ixzz2EHX3MdMH)

Does seem rather small..........after all your hype!!

[Justjac]

Terri, I think your question is perfectly reasonable. I don't live there yet, so I cannot answer it. What I can tell you is that a significant number of people on this site get their dander up if you even suggest anything about TV isn't perfect. I continue to be amazed by that.

This question isn't worth a response? Then why did you respond. And why are you folks rude to someone who is obviously new and considering moving here.

We spent last June renting a house there. That is our only trip thus far. My understanding is that is the slowest time of the year. What we found was some pretty heavy traffic in a few areas, but mostly pretty light. There were a couple of things that were difficult. First and foremost the roundabouts or traffic circles. These in themselves are a good idea. They are prettier and less city-like than signals. But for some reason they are two lane circles. My guess is the traffic is heavy enough in the winter to justify it. The biggest problem I saw was that in most areas, you were allowed to make a right turn into a neighborhood from the left lane or the right line. But there was no indication that you had to turn from the right, as opposed to going straight. There are signs showing this, but they really don't make sense. I don't see any way to safely turn right from a left lane if the traffic in the right lane goes straight.

I don't know what happened in that accident. Someone mentioned the paper, but I didn't find anything in the on-line version. I will say that overall my wife and I were surprised at how fast many drivers were going both on the streets and the cart paths. For a community designed to be relaxing and enjoyable, I'm not sure why everyone was in such a hurry.

If I had to speculate on driving safety in TV, I would point to how tightly so many people are packed into the area there. Also, I've read a lot of comments here about snow birds causing some problems because they don't get used to driving here. I don't know if there is any validity to that.

As to the safety of older drivers, most of the research I've seen points to older folks as actually being safer and having less accidents. Of course there is always the person who should no longer be driving that runs over someone or hits gas instead of the brake. My feeling is that is one of the real reasons for all the golf carts here, so those people can get around, without driving a 4,000 pound car. Of course it seems there are a great many golf cart accidents, but the injuries generally seem much, much less serious.

Finally I would say during our month there we heard of no serious accidents and have heard of very few on here in the two years I've been reading it. It sounds like this was just a very bad week. Again, I don't know what happened Sunday.

Best of luck Terri.
Nice response, Old Dave. It's always nice to read an informative response that educates and explains with simple courtesy. As a "newbie" to the area, I appreciate your post!

[coconutmama]

terrieb:
I would tend to think that one would be wise to learn how to negotiate roundabouts the proper way. Accidents are caused by many reasons. One would be wise to be aware and drive defensively no matter where they are.

IMHO -I sometimes get concerned when hearing of these accidents. No one can guaranteed they won't happen. I think the anount of accidents are small, compared to the population in TV. I would not accidents from stopping me from moving to TV. Like I said, accidents can happen anywhere.

You are always such a gentleman. Nice post.

[OldDave]

Thanks Justjac, and welcome.

[2BNTV]

You are always such a gentleman. Nice post.

Thank you so very much. :smiley: