Seeing Red: Fifth Street isn't the only place that needs to be safer.

Now, I can understand why a small section of Fifth Street is getting this kind of attention, and the cluster of fatal crashes that have occurred there is tragic, but if we're going to talk about traffic safety in our community, let's please include the county we live in, where the death toll is a lot worse. I mean, this isn't rocket science. It's about speed, not wearing seatbelts, and alcohol. Those are what cause most fatal crashes. What transportation officials call the “belt, booze and speed” categories. It's the reason why, as Albemarle County Police Chief Ron Lantz said last year, "Albemarle County roads are some of the most dangerous in the Commonwealth." Indeed, while there were 3 fatalities in Charlottesville in 2021, according to TREDS data, there were more than five times as many in Albemarle County (16), along with 15 more in Louisa, Nelson, Fluvanna, and Greene Counties. Of course, human error and a whole array of unusual driving mistakes account for crashes and fatalitie…