Collisions commonplace in city, around university

With its one-way streets, bustling public transportation system and thousands of out-of-town motorists, driving around Bloomington can be a chore for even the most experienced drivers, and the site of damaged vehicles pulled off to the side of the road is a common one.\nUnlike some cities and towns that have certain streets or intersections known for a high number of accidents, Bloomington traffic can be treacherous anywhere.\n"They happen all over," said Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Bill Parker. "Mostly fender benders, but every so often one is severe or even fatal."\nJunior Lauren Mailloux was the passenger in one such severe accident in November and is still dealing with the consequences.\nWhile crossing the intersection of Liberty Drive and 45, the vehicle she was in was sideswiped.\n"The medical bills are outrageous," Mailoux said. "I know I am still receiving mine. My friend suffered from a separated shoulder. I had a dislocated rib cage. We are both still seeing doctors because neither one of us is completely at 100 percent."\nStill, there are several precautions Parker recommends to avoid such accidents.\n"Watch other traffic," he said. "Look ahead to see if someone is doing something out of the ordinary."\nParker also advises those in an accident to call the police even if there is not much damage to the vehicles to avoid problems with insurance companies in the future.\nFor accidents where damage appears in excess of $700, contacting the police is required by law.\nBack on campus, traffic accidents are somewhat more predictable.\nIn 2004 there were more 700 car accidents reported to the IU Police Department on the campus alone according to IUPD reports.\nOf those, more than half occurred on or around Jordan Avenue and its various intersections.\nMore than 100 occurred on 10th Street, either west or east of Jordan. That figure may seem high, but IUPD Lt. Jerry Minger emphasized that most of those accidents involved little damage and no or minor injuries because of the slow speed of traffic.\nHe also offered a rather simple explanation as to why most of the accidents occur around Jordan.\n"That's just where the traffic goes," he said. "More traffic means more accidents."\nMinger also said that most accidents are due to simple driver \nnegligence.\n"The number one indicator is often driver inattention," Minger said. "People might be on their cell phones and just not notice a traffic light."\n -- Contact Staff Writer Chris Freiberg at wfreiber@indiana.edu.