Barnstable Car Crashes On The Rise

BARNSTABLE, MA — There were 1,276 motor vehicle crashes in Barnstable last year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's data. And the number of car crashes in Barnstable has risen most years since 2016. The number of crashes resulting in injuries has also risen over the last two years.

The rise in the number of crashes in Barnstable aligns with state trends. Across Massachusetts, the total number of crashes dropped slightly in 2019 and 2018 after increasing in each of the eight previous years.

On average, Barnstable has 3.6 fatal car crashes each year, according to the MassDOT numbers. That number has flucuated a lot since 2007, the furthest year back for which data is available. In 2019, there were no fatal crashes in Barnstable, compared to three in 2018. In 2012, 2011 and 2007, there were six fatal crashes.

Most crashes, fatal or otherwise, occur at the intersection of Falmouth Road and Pitchers Way, followed by the intersection of Iyannough and Yarmouth Roads.

Of the 1,276 crashes in Barnstable in 2019, 376 were classified as "older-driver related" and 248 were classified as "young-driver related." There were 188 crashes involving motorcycles, 22 involving pedestrians and 28 involving bicycles.