Joseph F. Paulonis: More data needed about parked vehicles

In a Nov. 17 news article “Highway Patrol says data inspired trucker tickets”: Col. William Grey, State Highway Patrol commander, cited a statistic “that parked vehicles were a factor in 101 out of 512 deaths recorded in interstate highway crashes.”

We know that statistics may be spun to meet an individual’s purpose, especially when requested by a superior whose primary duty “is to keep the citizens of North Carolina safe.”

Questions arise. What is the definition of “parked”? How many times were 18-wheelers involved? Why were those vehicles “parked”? Was it to change a flat tire, dealing with an accident or some other mechanical difficulty? Is the Highway Patrol ticketing people for changing a tire or waiting for a tow truck?

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Joseph F. Paulonis: More data needed about parked vehicles."