Devil’s Slide in California made the news recently when a man drove a Tesla off the side of a cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) with his wife and children inside. According to CNN, the act may have been intentional. Now the man faces attempted murder charges in this tragic case.
Since the crash, people have been asking us if the Devil’s Slide area is a dangerous stretch of road with frequent accidents.
Is Devil’s Slide Known for Vehicle Crashes?
Devil’s Slide is a natural formation located about 20 miles south of San Francisco between Pacifica and Moss Beach. It’s a promontory, meaning it’s a high peak that juts out into the ocean.
The PCH/Highway 1 ran right alongside the precarious cliffs until landslides forced CalTrans to redirect the highway in 2014. The old highway route that ran directly along the Devil’s Slide area is now a biking and walking path.
The new route for the PCH runs through the two Tom Lantos Tunnels. It’s a more stable road now, but accidents are still common in the areas to the north and south of the tunnels.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported at least 9 people have died on this still-dangerous stretch of the PCH since the bypass tunnels opened. CalTrans statistics reveal that this section of the PCH continues to have an accident rate more than 50% higher than similar California highways.
Recent Crashes on Highway 1 Near Devil’s Slide
The Devil’s Slide area was the scene of several accidents in 2022. SFGate reported that on September 30th, 2022 a man suffered critical injuries after plunging off the PCH, near Gray Whale Cove. This is just south of the Tom Lantos Tunnels.
The driver, a man in his 60s, had to freed from his wrecked BMW and was flown to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Investigators with the California Highway Patrol felt that speed was a factor in the accident.
What’s Being Done to Make the Devil’s Slide Section of the Pacific Coast Highway Safer?
It’s easy to see that more needs to be done to keep motorists safer along the Devil’s Slide portion of Highway One.
Drivers, even careless ones, must be able to count on safety barriers if they veer out of control and head for the cliffs. When someone makes a tragic decision to drive over the cliffs at Devil’s Slide it needs to be harder to find spots to put a heartbreaking crash into motion.
In 2021, CalTrans announced a plan to replace barriers already used along Highway 1 down to Montara Beach. They also intend to install wider barriers in places where there aren’t any currently. They hope to add updated guardrails but still allow motorists to enjoy the view.
Unfortunately, this safety initiative may not arrive soon enough to prevent the next tragic crash. This road construction project may not get underway until late 2024.
