Created: 06/30/2009 3:16 PM KSTP.com | Print Story

Map Helps Road-Trippers Avoid Dangerous Areas

 SafeRoadMaps.org

A new interactive web site was designed to help road-trippers avoid dangerous traffic areas.

Transportation safety experts from the University of Minnesota launched SafeRoadMaps.org just in time for July 4th travel.

The web site includes an online map that identifies traffic safety "hot zones." The "hot zones" are areas that have experienced the most fatalities during the past five years.

The site lists 100 rural and 100 urban hot zones.

The states with the most rural "hot zones" are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

The information is searchable and the site allows users to zoom into individual sections of the road.

Besides the hot zones, users can also enter any zip code, city or street address to learn about all of the road deaths that have occurred in the past five years. Details on whether seat belts, drinking or speeding played a role are included.

The site is run The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety which operates as a joint venture of the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and Center for Transportation Studies.