In the US, more than 38,000 people die every year from car accidents and an additional 4.4 million are seriously injured requiring medical attention (source: Association for Safe International Road Travel). Car crashes in California accounted for 3,606 of those fatalities in 2019. California saw a slight decrease in fatalities from the year prior but over 3,000 people dying due to reckless or distracted driving is still too many.
California has some of the busiest traveled streets and highways. Here are the 2019 car and motorcycle accident statistics for California from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
- Traffic fatalities: 3,606
- Mileage Death Rate (MDR) – fatalities per 100 million miles traveled is 1.06
- Fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving - involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher: 1,066
- 50% of drivers that were killed in a vehicle crash – who were tested – tested positive for legal and/or illegal drugs
- Passengers without seat belt restraints who died: 620
- Motorcycle accident fatalities: 474
- Teen (aged 16-19) fatalities: 164
- Teen driver (aged 16-19) fatalities: 83
The average person may be involved in three to four accidents during their lifetime. If you are in a car accident, call the police, gather evidence – such as photos, notes about what happened, and witness information – and seek medical attention for injuries, even if they are minor. Keep records of medical office visits relating to the injury. If you need legal guidance, here are questions to ask your car accident attorney.
Our San Francisco auto accident law firm has decades of combined experience handling car accident cases in the Bay Area. We have recovered over $1 billion in compensation for clients and have secured record-breaking verdicts and settlements, including a $21 million non-punitive verdict for a single individual in an auto/truck accident case (San Francisco County, Zivic v. Winterland).
We also focus on representing car accident victims with catastrophic injuries – including brain injuries – and helping families who wish to pursue wrongful death lawsuits after losing a loved one in a fatal traffic collision.
Bostwick & Peterson serves clients in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Request a free evaluation of your motor vehicle case by calling us at (888) 831-8448 or contacting us online.