These are the deadliest roads in California
California has a deadly driving problem. Deaths from car crashes rose 17% in 2022 from prepandemic levels in 2018, even as the state’s population declined. In most cases, California’s deadliest roads have grown even more deadly.
Speeding and reckless driving during the pandemic, when roads were less congested, led to much of the increase in car crash fatalities, traffic safety experts say. The tragic problem, however, hasn’t gone away with the pandemic.
“It’s a crisis that needs to be reversed,” Timothy Weisberg, deputy director of marketing and public affairs at the California Office of Traffic Safety, told ConsumerAffairs. “During the pandemic, we saw more of those dangerous driving behaviors.”
Early estimates for 2023 show a decline in deaths as California’s population fell further, but fatalities still tally above prepandemic levels, with 10.3 per 100,000 people in 2023 versus 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2018. To keep their vehicles as safe as possible on the road, many drivers seek out an extended car warranty.
ConsumerAffairs investigated data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in California from 2018 to 2022 to understand where traffic deaths happen and the factors contributing to them. The data on 2022’s traffic deaths came out in the spring of 2024.
Interstate 5, which runs through the entirety of California, was the state’s deadliest road in 2022, with 128 deaths. While this is down from the 150 deaths in 2018, the number of fatalities still grew in many regions.
Jump to insightSan Bernardino County was the deadliest for driving among California’s 10 most populous counties, registering around 20 fatalities per 100,000 people in 2022.
Jump to insightSacramento was the deadliest for driving among California’s 10 most populous cities, with around 15 fatalities per 100,000 people in 2022.
Jump to insightSpeeding was involved in around 31% of deadly car crashes in California in 2022, up from 26% in 2018 and a result, in part, of more people driving recklessly following the pandemic.
Jump to insightDrinking (defined as the event of a driver receiving a positive blood alcohol test) was involved in 13% of fatal car crashes in California in 2022, down from 24% in 2018. However, in Amador and Mariposa counties, drinking was a factor in over 40% of fatal crashes from 2018 to 2022.
Jump to insightOctober and August were nearly tied for the deadliest months for driving in California, registering 407 and 406 deaths in 2022, respectively.
Jump to insightThe 10 deadliest roads in California
California has long highways running through much of the state, but these roads can be broken down into stretches within county borders. Nine out of 10 of the deadliest roads within these borders have seen their fatalities grow in 2022 from prepandemic levels in 2018.
Interstate 5 in Orange County ranks the highest in terms of percentage of road fatalities due to speeding, at 50%. Taking drinking while driving into account, U.S. Route 101 in Santa Clara County tops the list, with nearly 31% of fatalities involving a driver with a positive blood alcohol test.
1. Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County
- Fatalities: 48
- Fatalities with speeding: 22
- Fatalities with drinking: 4
2. Interstate 10 in Riverside County
- Fatalities: 31
- Fatalities with speeding: 12
- Fatalities with drinking: 0
3. Interstate 5 in San Diego County
- Fatalities: 21
- Fatalities with speeding: 7
- Fatalities with drinking: 2
4. Interstate 5 in Orange County
- Fatalities: 16
- Fatalities with speeding: 8
- Fatalities with drinking: 2
5. US-101 in Santa Barbara County
- Fatalities: 15
- Fatalities with speeding: 4
- Fatalities with drinking: 2
6. Interstate 880 in Alameda County
- Fatalities: 14
- Fatalities with speeding: 7
- Fatalities with drinking: 1
7. State Route 4 in Contra Costa County
- Fatalities: 14
- Fatalities with speeding: 1
- Fatalities with drinking: 1
8. Interstate 10 in Los Angeles County
- Fatalities: 14
- Fatalities with speeding: 2
- Fatalities with drinking: 1
9. State Route 178 and State Route 99 (tie) in Kern County
- Fatalities: 13
- Fatalities with speeding: 3 and 5
- Fatalities with drinking: 3 and 1
10. US-101 in Santa Clara County
- Fatalities: 13
- Fatalities with speeding: 4
- Fatalities with drinking: 4
You can find the deadliest road in your county in the table below.
California’s worst cities and counties for deadly car crashes
Eight out of 10 of California’s most populous counties have seen car crash fatalities rise since before the pandemic. San Bernardino County takes the top spot with more than 20 car crash deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, followed by Fresno and Riverside with nearly 20 and 14 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively.
The trend is more stark among California’s 10 most populous cities. All 10 cities on the list have seen car crash fatalities per 100,000 people increase from prepandemic levels. Sacramento ranks highest with nearly 15 fatalities per 100,000 people, followed by Bakersfield with more than 13 and Long Beach with 13 deaths per 100,000 people.
Fatal drinking and speeding in California
Drinking while driving and speeding are much more prevalent in some California counties than others. On average, by county, speeding and drinking were involved in around 28% and 25% of fatalities, respectively, between 2018 and 2022.
Speeding is a much more common factor in fatal crashes in California’s more rural, less populous counties. Sierra County ranks highest, with 57% of fatalities between 2018 and 2022 involving speeding, followed by Alpine County at 50% and Plumas County at 48%.
Like speeding, alcohol was a bigger factor in smaller counties. Mariposa County ranks highest, with 55% of fatalities involving a driver with a positive blood alcohol test, followed by Amador County at 43% and Trinity County at 40%.
How time influences California’s deadly car crashes
Deadly driving is more common during certain hours, days of the week and months of the year. By hour, nearly 36% of car crash fatalities in 2022 happened between the evening hours of 6 p.m. and midnight. Deaths were far less frequent in the early hours of 6 a.m. to noon, accounting for around 16% of fatalities.
The distribution of fatalities by day of the week was fairly even during weekdays but increased on the weekend. Together, Saturday and Sunday accounted for nearly 36% of car crash deaths in 2022.
Fatalities were also fairly evenly distributed in most months except for October and August, which were nearly tied with 407 and 406 fatalities, respectively. August is the height of summer, when many people are vacationing and younger drivers are out of school, while October can be dangerous due to visibility issues from darkness and slick surfaces.
Tips for driving safely on California’s roads
Traffic safety experts at the California government’s “Go Safely” campaign say there are simple steps you can take to stay safe while driving. These include the following:
- Adhere to the speed limit.
- Slow your vehicle at intersections.
- Watch for pedestrians at crosswalks and unmarked corners. Be prepared to stop and allow pedestrians to cross.
- Be extra cautious in less-than-ideal driving conditions, such as in the dark, fog or rainy weather.
- Respect bicyclists and provide them ample space when passing. California law requires drivers to change lanes, when possible, to pass bicyclists.
- If space is lacking to pass a bicyclist, be patient and wait until it’s safe to do so.
- Never drive impaired. Have a game plan prior to consuming alcohol or engaging in behavior that may impair your ability to drive. This includes consuming drugs such as cannabis, prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications. Do your research and understand how certain drugs may affect you. Driving under the influence of anything is illegal. Designate a sober driver, employ a ride-hailing service or use public transit.
- Silence your phone and avoid distractions. Put it on “Do Not Disturb” mode. The Driving Focus feature on iPhones allows you to set your phone to silent when the car is moving. It can even send an automated message to someone trying to contact you that you are driving and will get back to them when it is safe.
Methodology
ConsumerAffairs investigated data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and examined fatal car crash data in California from 2018 to 2022. We looked at all 58 counties in California and summarized data to identify the deadliest road in each and also ranked the most populous counties and cities. Additionally, we examined factors that contributed to these accidents, such as alcohol, speeding and time of day.
For questions about the data or if you'd like to arrange an interview, please contact acurls@consumeraffairs.com.
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References
ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “NHTSA File Downloads.” Accessed June 24, 2024.Link Here
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