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If you are reading this, it’s likely you are looking for the information regarding traffic collisions that happen in the state of California.  You have come to the right place. Get up-to-date reports on car accidents that occur daily across the state of California. Several traffic collisions occur daily in California. Some of these mishaps include semi- truck collisions, car accidents, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents.

Summary of crash fatalities in California

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 38824 lives were lost in traffic crashes across the US in 2020. This was the highest number recorded number since 2007. The number of police-reported crashes in 2020 decreased by 22% compared to 2019, and the estimated number of people injured declined by 17%. In 2020, at least 3847 people were killed in traffic collisions in California, which was higher than the 3719 traffic fatalities that occurred in 2019. A study by the National Highway Safety Administration (NHSTA) revealed that three of the ten most deadly highways in America run through California, which has nearly 396,540 miles of roadway. The study analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and identified the dangerous highways based on the number of fatal crashes per 100 miles traveled. The three highways are Interstate 5, the 15 Freeway and the 80 Freeway.

Below is a summary of traffic fatalities that occurred in California.

•  California had the 2nd highest number of traffic fatalities after 3847 people were killed in collisions across the state. Texas ranked the highest with 3874 fatalities, while Florida had the 3rd highest number of fatalities with 3331.
• California recorded 1159 alcohol-impaired fatalities, a 4.4% increase from 2019. The DUI-related fatalities were 30% of the total fatalities. California had the largest increase in DUI-related fatalities, with 193 more lives lost.
• NHTSA found that 1368 people killed in collisions in 2020 were occupants of passenger cars, while 693 were occupants of light trucks.
• It was further determined that 2260 fatalities resulted from single-vehicle crashes, while multi-vehicle collisions resulted in 1587 deaths.
• 1111 people were killed in the collisions were properly restrained, while 761 of those who died were unrestrained.
• 2666 fatalities happened in urban areas while 1775 deaths happened in rural California.
•  As per the report, 539 motorcyclists, 986 pedestrians, and 129 bicyclists died in the accidents across the state.
•  NHTSA determined that 1228 (32%) of the total fatalities reported in the state involved speeding motorists.

Table 1. Alcohol-related and speed-related fatalities for the years 2019 and 2020

Table 2. Fatalities resulting from different types of traffic collisions in California for years 2019 and 2020

Most Dangerous Freeways in California

Interstate 5 Freeway (I-5)

In 2020, at least 118 people died and 4459 others were injured in traffic collisions on the freeway, which runs up and down the pacific coast through Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego, before passing out of the state into Oregon and Washington. The highway is a popular route for 18-wheelers and passenger vehicles, making it dangerous for people using it. Rush hour traffic in these three cities raises the risk level for drivers. A combination of fatigue, poor visibility and high volume of traffic make rush hour driving more dangerous than usual.

Interstate 15 Freeway (I-15)

The I-15 Freeway stretches from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Nevada. The highway was ranked the 6th deadliest freeway in the country, with a fatality rate of 11.02 per 100 miles. As per the report, 72 people died and 2627 others were injured in collisions on this freeway in 2020. The stretch between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is a long, straight road running through the desert. Although the visibility is good, many motorists were found to be speeding and engaging in distracted driving.

The I-80 Freeway (I-80)

The 80 Freeway, which was ranked 9th deadliest in America, is a transcontinental freeway that runs from San Francisco to Teaneck in New Jersey. The stretch of the highway in California is also among the most dangerous in the country. The study found that 56 people died and 2068 were injured on the highway in 2019. The highway had a fatality rate of 7.21 per 100 miles.

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