California’s traffic problems are on display every day for residents. Even people who don’t live here know about the jam-packed freeways and reckless drivers who make the news. These issues can cause massive delays and lead to smashed bumpers. But a much more important consequence is all of the devastating injuries and deaths caused by preventable car accidents.
Maison Law of California thought it might be a good time to reflect on the most up-to-date car accident statistics. Our car collision study visualizes recent figures in the hopes that drivers can more easily understand the enormous toll careless and reckless driving takes on our communities each year. It’s an important review that might keep drivers from repeating the same dangerous mistakes as we all try to travel through 2024 safely.
California Serious and Fatal Accidents
California’s major accident numbers for 2022 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. This chart shows the shocking number of accidents involving a serious injury or fatality in recent years:
Fatal accidents have risen ever since the pandemic of 2020. SWITRS 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 4,448 deaths on local roadways.
California’s Most Dangerous Cities for Car Crashes in 2024
Los Angeles is the city that makes headlines for crazy drivers and traffic nightmares. It’s no surprise that it’s the biggest contributor to California’s annual accident statistics. L.A. and Los Angeles County record around 19% of the state’s reported fatalities each year.
Los Angeles led the way, but there are plenty of dangerous urban sprawls that California residents must drive across each day. SWITRS data highlights the places you’re most likely to get into a deadly accident:
In 2022, Long Beach ranked 7th for tragic roadway fatalities according to state figures. Riverside ranked 8th and San Bernadino ranked 9th. Oakland ranked 10th and San Francisco ranked 11th.
California Drunk Driving Accident Statistics
Getting behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs is the most reckless decision California drivers can make. These decisions continue to lead to devastating accidents that 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 over 27,000 accidents involving injuries of any kind caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol.
Among California cities, Los Angeles continued to lead the state in alcohol-related accidents in 2022. Below is a visual representation of the cities with the most accidents involving drivers impaired by alcohol. The data highlights any alcohol-involved accident resulting in any sort of injury, from minor to serious, and those that resulted in fatalities.
Other cities making the unfortunate top ten list include Long Beach at 6th and Anaheim at 7th. Fresno, Bakersfield, and Modesto followed closely behind on the list for 2022.
Distracted Driver Dangers on California Freeways
Distracted driving continues to be a dangerous factor in all travel across California. So many accidents could be prevented if motorists would focus on the lanes and stop allowing their attention to be led astray. A glance at a text, a conversation with a passenger, or even a change of the radio dial can all cause a driver to miss a traffic slowdown ahead, or a light changing to red.
Of course, staring at a cell phone is the number one distraction for drivers in this day and age. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports that looking at a cell phone increases your chance of an accident by 400%. There are plenty of reasons to avoid holding or looking at a cell phone screen. It’s against the law and it’s dangerous. There’s also a financial penalty. The CHP says that a first offense of texting while driving will cost drivers a minimum of a $162 fine.
SWITRS data show that despite social media and T.V. campaigns, far too many drivers are still flying down the road while distracted. These figures show the distracted driving accidents that caused any sort of injury over the past few years.
The Disturbing Accident Trends Across the United States
California is near the top of yearly national lists for the most dangerous states to drive in.
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. We await the release of official 2023 accident numbers to see if any improvements were seen on our nation’s highways.
The NHTSA reports 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. Unfortunately, the return to the roads seems to have boosted accidents and their consequences to levels that even surpass pre-pandemic numbers.
Sadly, that led to a rise in tragic accidents that left occupants with serious injuries and claimed too many lives. This is a look at fatal accident figures in the United States over the most recent five-year span for which data is available:
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.
Hope for a Safer 2024 on California Freeways
With the discouraging traffic outlook for California, it’s critical that every motorist commits to safer behavior on local 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.
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.
