Fremont is a major thoroughfare for the rest of the Bay Area. From the constant motion of the interstates to the busy streets that feed into Fremont Boulevard, there are traffic dangers around every curve. Careless and speeding drivers are the norm around the Tri-City Area
Reading about the dangers Bay Area drivers face (and sometimes help create) doesn’t always drive the scale of the problem home. Motorists often need to see a more visual representation before they’ll slow down and take more care around others.
Maison Law commissioned a study to find out where Fremont accident statistics are headed and where a little more caution will make the most difference. Improved numbers are great, but it’s all about taking action so that everyone gets home safely each night.
Fremont Traffic Dangers for Residents and Visitors
Local streets like Mowry Avenue see elevated traffic levels during the rush hours, especially as people try to get to work and school. But those levels don’t dip as much as they used to during late morning and early afternoon. And any on-ramp to I-880 will usually have dozens of cars trying to merge onto already busy lanes after every light change.
California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) recorded 808 accidents in Fremont involving injury in 2022. The rates have been slowly rising since the pandemic year of 2020 when fewer people were on the roads.
Unfortunately, traffic fatalities across Fremont have bounced back in a big way since the pandemic. In 2021, traffic officials recorded at least 18 fatalities on our roads. In 2022, the deaths fell to 11 victims, but that’s still an unacceptable level. As we await 2023 statistics to be officially totaled, it will be crucial to see if numbers drop or continue to match and exceed pre-pandemic levels.
Drunk Driving Accident Trends in Fremont
Drunk driving continues to be a major plague on the residents of Fremont. According to TIMS, at least one person was killed by a drunk driver in 2022, with another 110 people seriously injured in drunk driving accidents. That was after a truly tragic year in 2021 when at least six people lost their lives to impaired drivers.
The serious accidents involving drunk drivers in Fremont have made a quick comeback after a dip during the pandemic. There were 75 serious accidents caused by alcohol-impaired drivers in 2022.
Drunk driving accidents are often much more dangerous for car occupants than normal accidents. That elevated risk is traced to two major reasons. Drunk drivers will have slower reaction times. This means they won’t always notice when they are heading into a crash and won’t always be as fast to hit the brakes. The lack of a response leads to higher speeds and impact forces involved with any collision.
Unfortunately, it’s the other side of the coin for safe, sober drivers. Defensive drivers won’t be as likely to be able to avoid an impact because the actions of drunk drivers can be so unpredictable. Defensive drivers may not know they are approaching a drunk motorist until it’s too late to slam the brakes or steer to safety.
Hit-And-Run Outbreak in Fremont
Hit-and-runs continue to injure innocent victims in the Bay Area. The criminal act of leaving the scene of an accident also leaves victims and their families to struggle with recovery costs alone.
2022’s 50 hit-and-run traffic accidents involving a serious injury in Fremont was the highest incident count of the past half-decade. Two people lost their lives in those accidents. And too many victims were left to pay their own medical bills because a suspect couldn’t be found.
National and California Accident Risks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates there were 42,795 traffic fatalities across the U.S. in 2022. Their estimates for the first half of 2023 show that 19,515 people lost their lives from January through June. That was about a 3.3% drop from 2021’s first half.
TIMS documented 4,166 fatalities on California freeways and boulevards in 2022. That was up just slightly from 2021’s figure of 4,151 deaths.
The NHTSA estimates that 2,061 people lost their lives on California roads over the first half of 2023. That would be down about 12% from 2022’s figure of 2,341 lives lost over the same span. We await updated figures for 2023 from U.S. and California officials to see the real course of these dangerous trends.
Hope for 2024 and Beyond on Fremont Roads
As 2023 accident figures are totaled, there’s still time to improve the outlook for 2024 and beyond. Fremont drivers simply need to decide to pay more attention as they make turns, switch lanes, and pass through intersections. It’s that extra bit of caution on the interstate that can make a difference in next year’s statistics and, more importantly, in the lives of potential victims and their friends and families.
After you’ve been injured in a collision caused by a careless driver, you can count on Maison Law to help you determine your next steps. We offer a free consultation to all injured victims. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out how to secure help with your medical bills, your lost time at work, and other hardships. Contact us to schedule your confidential case review today.
