Latest news with #DelDOT
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What is the deadliest day for driving in Delaware? Here's what a study finds
With warmer weather approaching, many Delawareans will be gearing up to hit the road. But if you're planning to head out on a Friday evening, you might want to rethink your timing. A new study shows that as drivers rush to start their weekends, more lives are lost on Delaware roads than on any other day of the week. The injury law firm Bader Scott conducted a study analyzing five years of data (2018-2022) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, revealing deadly patterns in the state's crash statistics. The findings show that of the 605 fatal crashes in Delaware during this period, nearly one in five happened on a Friday. Delaware roads see an uptick in interstate travel volume which may contribute to weekend collisions, but a midweek spike in collisions also raises concerns about driver behavior, especially during routine commutes. Wednesday equals Sunday in terms of danger, each accounting for 91 fatal crashes (15.04%). Monday rounds out the top five with the lowest volume of fatal crashes. DEATH ON DELAWARE ROADS: New Castle County hit-and-run driver gets minimum prison time. Victim's mother speaks out Here are the top five days of the week with the highest number of collisions: Rank Day of the Week Number of Fatal Crashes % of Fatal Crashes 1 Friday 114 18.84% 2 Saturday 99 16.36% 3 Wednesday 91 15.04% 4 Sunday 91 15.04% 5 Monday 75 12.40% Whether heading to the beach, visiting family, or just commuting home for the weekend, experts advise drivers to avoid peak travel times, stay alert and practice defensive driving during these statistically dangerous periods. To keep track of 2025 fatal crash data, visit DelDOT's traffic fatalities dashboard. You can contact Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: What is the deadliest day for driving in Delaware?
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfire burning in South Jersey, as wind gusts carry smoke for miles
The Brief A large wildfire is burning at Fort Mott State Park, in Salem County, New Jersey. The fire was sending huge plumes of black smoke into the air and could be seen for miles. PENNSVILLE, N.J. - A wildfire began burning in Fort Mott State Park Saturday afternoon, sending fire crews into thick, black smoke in order to wrestle the situation under control. The National Weather Service issued a special weather advisory earlier Saturday, alerting residents of low humidity and high wind gusts, which often leads to increased fire danger. What we know A wildfire broke out at Fort Mott State Park around 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The National Weather Service posted about it to social media saying it was visible on local radar. Huge plumes of thick, black smoke could be seen for miles and was picked up on Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) cameras. The backstory Saturday morning, the National Weather Service warned of an increased fire risk throughout the region, while also posting a Red Flag Warning for all of Delaware, due to strong winds expected for the day. Winds were blowing about 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph Saturday afternoon, which humidity was low. As the strong winds continued to blow from the northwest, the smoke was blown across Salem and Cumberland County. Dig deeper The strong wind gusts likely a contributing factor to some of the power outages PECO experienced in the afternoon. Around the same time that the fire started, close to 1,000 people were without power in southeastern Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, all of New Jersey is listed in various stages of drought conditions, and with all of South Jersey experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Consequences Ultimate Doppler Radar picked up the smoke. It looked like a big storm on the radar, which just goes to show how widespread the smoke was and that the fire was producing so much of it. What's next The N.J. Forest Fire Service was on the scene. They alerted the public to the situation saying 25 acres were burning with no containment and 12 structures were threatened. They did say no roads were affected.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Blizzard Wizard' among winners of Delaware's 'Name That Snowplow' contest for kids
The Delaware Department of Transportation delivered the news to the winners of the 'Name That Plow' contest with a visit by a snowplow and driver at their schools Jan. 28 and 29 and Feb. 5. The fourth annual contest invites students in kindergarten to fifth grade to participate in celebrating the work of DelDOT's snow removal crews by thinking of creative names for the department's plow trucks in each county. The contest is open to individual students and entire classes. This year's top entries were all group efforts. The 2025 winners are: Sussex County, 'Blizzard Wizard' by John M. Clayton Elementary, Frankford, in the Indian River School District Kent County, 'Plowana' by Fairview Elementary, Dover, in the Capital School District New Castle County, 'Ctrl Salt Delete,' a pun on the computer keyboard keys 'ctrl,' 'alt,' 'delete,' by Jennie Smith Elementary, Ogletown, in the Christina School District More on winter weather: What Delaware law says about driving with snow, ice on your car 'We love seeing the creativity of Delaware's young minds in this contest,' said DelDOT Secretary Shanté Hastings in a press release. 'Our snowplows and employees have been busy this January with back-to-back storms, and these clever names are a great way to honor their hard work and dedication to keeping our roads clear and safe.' DelDOT has more than 400 pieces of snow removal equipment and is responsible for treating and plowing almost 14,000 lane miles of roads. For more information, see the DelDOT Snow FAQ webpage. A snowplow tracker is also available for people to find where the plows are during winter storms on and the DelDOT mobile app. Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate, development and business news. Reach him at rmace@ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 'Blizzard Wizard' among winners of DelDOT 'Name That Snowplow' contest
