California freeways and boulevards aren’t known for the safe journeys they provide travelers. Local roads can be packed with motorists each day. There’s also no shortage of careless and reckless drivers no matter if you travel in major cities, up into the mountains, or along the coastline. Emergency responders rush to car accident scenes every day across our state.
As we travel through 2023, it’s a good time to look back at accident statistics from recent years. It’s a much-needed exercise to hopefully keep drivers from repeating the same dangerous mistakes that lead to collisions. Maison Law of California examined the accident figures for our state in 2022 and over the past 5 years to highlight some of the most concerning trends.
National Accident Figures for 2022
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that almost 43,000 people tragically lost their lives on America’s roadways in 2022. That was a slight decrease of less than one percent over 2021 figures.
The NHTSA says that traffic levels are returning to normal after the dampening effects of the pandemic on vehicle trips. Their researchers found that vehicle travel rose by almost 1% in 2022 when compared to 2021 levels.
Sadly, that means the return of tragic accidents that cause traumatic injuries and fatalities. This is a look at fatal accident figures in the United States over the past five years:
When zooming down to a state-level statistical analysis, Texas and California are always neck and neck for the unwanted distinction of being the deadliest state for motorists. Florida follows closely behind each year.
An NHTSA early estimate report on state-level fatal accidents in 2022 showed that the tragic pattern held. The top 5 states for deadly highway accidents didn’t change from 2021 to 2022. California stayed just shy of Texas’s totals across both years.
California Serious and Fatal Accidents in 2022
2022 California major accident numbers showed a slight decline in cases from 2021, but that was one of the few positive notes. Overall, in the past few years, accident rates have veered into extreme territory not seen in a decade or more.
The California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) shows that 2022 continued the trend that started in 2021 of highly elevated serious accident numbers. The past couple of years have reached shocking totals on accidents involving injury or death.
Fatal accidents have risen ever since the pandemic of 2020. NHTSA deadly accident figures also show that 2022 California fatal incidents are higher than they’ve been in at least 10 years. In 2022, California documented at least 4,407 deaths on local roadways.
Each case represents a loved one taken from family and friends. That’s a loss of both emotional support and financial support the family must cope with in the years ahead. These accidents can have devastating impacts on family members and make it difficult for them to move on with their lives.
California Fatal Accidents by County
As you’d expect, the massive sprawl that is Los Angeles County contributes greatly to the yearly fatal accident numbers in California. It’s a place with a lot of people and a history of reckless driving accidents. L.A. and the county record around 19% of the state’s reported fatalities each year.
Overall, California recorded an estimated 4,407 fatalities in traffic accidents across 2022. Los Angeles County saw most of the tragic incidents, but other local counties documented their share of devastating traffic collisions.
SWITRS illustrated how these California counties can be extremely dangerous places to travel:
A snapshot of the tragic accident levels in other counties around California shows that Fresno saw 124 victims lose their lives in crashes in 2021. That put them at 8th on the list of the worst counties for fatalities. Santa Clara County recorded 61 fatalities for the year to rank 12th.
California Drunk Driving Accident Statistics in 2022
Motorists choosing to drive while impaired continue to cause injury and the loss of life on California streets. Accidents caused by DUI drivers involving injury and fatalities fell in 2022 from 2021 extreme numbers, but the number of motorists who drive while intoxicated is still unbelievably high. According to SWITRS, in 2022, there were 4,393 serious accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol.
Los Angeles County continued to lead California in serious alcohol-related accidents in 2022. L.A. County recorded 676 accidents involving drunk drivers. Riverside County had almost half as many cases, but still led all other California counties.
Orange County ranked just out of the top 5 at number 6 with 202 cases. Kern County ranked 8th on the list with 167 collisions attributed to alcohol. Fresno County ranked 10th on the list with 146 serious alcohol-involved crashes.
Hope for a Safer 2023 and 2024 on California Freeways
With the discouraging statistics released by traffic analysts in recent years, it’s critical that every motorist commits to safer behavior on California roads. This is one of the few changes that will make a real difference in the tragic accident numbers tallied across our state and within our cities each year.
If you or a loved one become the victim of a driver’s carelessness, don’t wait to seek legal help. Take advantage of a free consultation with a California Car Accident Lawyer to find out what you should be demanding in recovery support. Maison Law works with accident victims and their families to make sure insurance companies provide them with everything they need to rebuild their health and their lives.
