Project Summary
This study investigates the relationship between personal use subsistence activities (i.e., dipnetting) and motor vehicle crashes using the Chitina Subdistrict fishery as a case study. Using crash data from 2013 to 2021, salmon run counts, permit and harvest data, and traffic volume and speed records, the analysis reveals that crash rates, standard deviation in speeds, and percentage of vehicles traveling over the speed limit increase during peak subsistence periods, particularly on weekends and during late-night or early-morning hours. These trends suggest that the long travel distances and time constraints associated with reaching this subsistence activity may elicit from drivers risk-tolerant driving behaviors such as drowsy or high-speed driving. The findings underscore the need for targeted safety interventions during high-risk periods and recommend further research to more definitively link crash risk with subsistence-related travel.
