If you missed the original article on the new traffic light on Dahlgren Road at St. Paul’s Road, please read it here: (http://
First, I need to make a correction to my original data. I neglected to include a stoplight at the King George County Parks and Recreation building on Route 3, just across the street from Food Lion. I am also fairly certain I did not factor in the stretch of Route 205 (roughly a mile) that is a two lane road.
Second, I need to make a major adjustment to my original thesis. When I originally measured distances, I used two points, “Sealston Elementary School and the Dahlgren Post Office.” After revisiting this topic a few times, I realized this may not be the most used route to the Navy base in Dahlgren. So I will adjust it to the 7-11 in Dahlgren instead of the Post Office and will also add notes about the two different routes into Dahlgren (Route 206 versus Highway 301).
Finally, despite my intent to focus on the best route to Dahlgren, even going so far as to revisit my data and make changes and adjustments, the story instead took me to the safest route to Dahlgren. While I still stand by my original theory that the new stoplight on Dahlgren Road should be avoided, I must admit that it is a relatively safe intersection to pass through..
Moving to the heart of the story, I determined that the stoplight in Dahlgren at Route 206 and Highway 301 (the WaWa light) is the most prone to accidents. The intersection without a stoplight most prone to accidents is the one at Route 3 and Comorn Road (at Pern’s). I also concluded that Dahlgren Road is more dangerous than Caledon Road.
Regarding my conclusion about Dahlgren Road, for years I’ve heard the rumor that the Navy has banned sailors from driving on Caledon Road (Route 218) because it is unsafe. The rumor went on to say that the Navy knew younger sailors would drive too fast on the narrow and winding road and, partly due to a lack of wide shoulders, would often run off-road and get hurt. According to the Public Affairs office at Naval Support Activity South Potomac in Dahlgren, this was a policy once upon a time but is no longer the case. More striking to me was that Caledon Road is actually safer than I once thought. Sort of.
At roughly 13.75 miles from the King George County and Stafford County line to where it ends at Dahlgren Road, it clocks in at a full 2 miles longer than Dahlgren Road. Measured from the terminus at Route 3 to the Highway 301 intersection, it’s just over 9 miles and from the terminus to the main gate at Dahlgren it’s only 11 miles.
In other words, Caledon Road is longer. But it has fewer accidents over the past few years. The four year average (2013-2016) for accidents that involve injuries and property damage is lower for Caledon Road. Only fatal accidents rank higher on Caledon Road with three while Dahlgren Road has two. But even using my weighted average, where a lower number is better, Caledon Road has a Score of 430 and Dahlgren Road has a Score of 615.
When digging into the safest stoplight in the County, the one at Potomac Elementary School wins with a Score of 17. My guess is the slower speed limits in the area lead to a safer crossing. The worst stoplight isn’t far away, it’s the one just down the road at the Wawa on the corner of Dahlgren Road and Highway 301. It has a Score of 116. The next highest Score was a tie between the light at Sealston and the light in front of Gate B for the base, each with Scores of 89.
As for intersections without stoplights, I found that the best was at Eden Drive and Highway 301. It had a Score of 10. The worst intersection, the one at Comorn Road, had a Score of 73. The next worst was at Owens, which had a Score of 57.
First, I need to make a correction to my original data. I neglected to include a stoplight at the King George County Parks and Recreation building on Route 3, just across the street from Food Lion. I am also fairly certain I did not factor in the stretch of Route 205 (roughly a mile) that is a two lane road.
Second, I need to make a major adjustment to my original thesis. When I originally measured distances, I used two points, “Sealston Elementary School and the Dahlgren Post Office.” After revisiting this topic a few times, I realized this may not be the most used route to the Navy base in Dahlgren. So I will adjust it to the 7-11 in Dahlgren instead of the Post Office and will also add notes about the two different routes into Dahlgren (Route 206 versus Highway 301).
Finally, despite my intent to focus on the best route to Dahlgren, even going so far as to revisit my data and make changes and adjustments, the story instead took me to the safest route to Dahlgren. While I still stand by my original theory that the new stoplight on Dahlgren Road should be avoided, I must admit that it is a relatively safe intersection to pass through..
Moving to the heart of the story, I determined that the stoplight in Dahlgren at Route 206 and Highway 301 (the WaWa light) is the most prone to accidents. The intersection without a stoplight most prone to accidents is the one at Route 3 and Comorn Road (at Pern’s). I also concluded that Dahlgren Road is more dangerous than Caledon Road.
Regarding my conclusion about Dahlgren Road, for years I’ve heard the rumor that the Navy has banned sailors from driving on Caledon Road (Route 218) because it is unsafe. The rumor went on to say that the Navy knew younger sailors would drive too fast on the narrow and winding road and, partly due to a lack of wide shoulders, would often run off-road and get hurt. According to the Public Affairs office at Naval Support Activity South Potomac in Dahlgren, this was a policy once upon a time but is no longer the case. More striking to me was that Caledon Road is actually safer than I once thought. Sort of.
At roughly 13.75 miles from the King George County and Stafford County line to where it ends at Dahlgren Road, it clocks in at a full 2 miles longer than Dahlgren Road. Measured from the terminus at Route 3 to the Highway 301 intersection, it’s just over 9 miles and from the terminus to the main gate at Dahlgren it’s only 11 miles.
In other words, Caledon Road is longer. But it has fewer accidents over the past few years. The four year average (2013-2016) for accidents that involve injuries and property damage is lower for Caledon Road. Only fatal accidents rank higher on Caledon Road with three while Dahlgren Road has two. But even using my weighted average, where a lower number is better, Caledon Road has a Score of 430 and Dahlgren Road has a Score of 615.
When digging into the safest stoplight in the County, the one at Potomac Elementary School wins with a Score of 17. My guess is the slower speed limits in the area lead to a safer crossing. The worst stoplight isn’t far away, it’s the one just down the road at the Wawa on the corner of Dahlgren Road and Highway 301. It has a Score of 116. The next highest Score was a tie between the light at Sealston and the light in front of Gate B for the base, each with Scores of 89.
As for intersections without stoplights, I found that the best was at Eden Drive and Highway 301. It had a Score of 10. The worst intersection, the one at Comorn Road, had a Score of 73. The next worst was at Owens, which had a Score of 57.
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