California is Dangerous for Motorists
24/7 Wall Street, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and Transportation Institutes across the country, developed an index to determine what metropolitan areas in the United States can be considered the most dangerous for motorists. Using this data, they released a ranking of the top 40 most dangerous metropolitan areas to drive in, with California taking 22 spots in the list.
How They Ranked
The information used to determine each placement included fatalities, gas prices, commute times, etcetera, but these were the four data points showcased in the list:
- Traffic fatalities per 100,000 people
- Average commute time
- Hours lost due to congestion per car
- Most dangerous road
In the official report, all but three of the top 10 were cities in Northern California, with the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metro sitting at number 10. Washington was the only other state to make an appearance in this section of the rankings.
While the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metro had a fatality rate per 100,000 people that was about half of the state average, it ranked high due to the average commute time and hours lost to congestion. This area also sits on one of the most dangerous roads in the country, US-101. In comparison to Greater California, this data and other factors makes it safe to assume that Northern California, and the Bay Area specifically as many other cities in this region ranked high, accounts for a large amount of the state’s driving dangers.
The Complexity of the Bay Area’s Traffic Fatalities
The California Metropolitan Transportation Commission tracks fatal crashes by county for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists and compares them to other metropolitan areas in the country. While this rate is applicable to many of the Bay Area counties, San Francisco County has a puzzling fatality rate per capita in comparison to rate per mile driven.
As mentioned previously, in terms of fatality rates per capita, San Francisco has one of the lowest rates out of any county in the Bay Area. However, it was one of the most dangerous places in terms of fatality rates per mile driven. This is because it has a higher rate of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities that account for high numbers with low miles driven. Ultimately, however, data points to the Bay Area being a relatively safe place to drive in comparison to other areas in the state.
Stay Safe on California Roads
Although the rankings suggest that California is a dangerous state overall to drive in, we want to encourage all motorists to take highway safety into their own hands by practicing safe and defensive driving techniques whenever possible.
If you or a loved one were the victim in a car crash in the Bay Area and sustained an injury, Delfino Green & Green is here to help. Our team has decades of experience in helping clients retain millions of dollars in damages from car crashes and will fight for maximum compensation. Call 415-442-4646 to schedule a consultation today.