Increased Traffic is Resulting in More Car Crashes in San Diego California
If you reside in Southern California, you are aware that traffic can result in hair pulling at times. When people think about traffic congestion, Los Angeles is usually the first city in Southern California that comes to mind. However, due to a number of factors, San Diego traffic is slowly but surely becoming as bad as traffic in Los Angeles. The result? More car crashes in San Diego than we have ever seen in the past.
Why is traffic increasing in San Diego?
San Diego County is the second most populous county in all of California, behind Los Angeles County per the U.S. Census. More than 3.3 million people now reside in San Diego County, and that number continues to grow. According to Forbes, the population grew by 3.6% between 2012 and 2015. In addition to people who reside in San Diego County, 34.9 million visitors travel to San Diego each year, making it one of the top travel destinations in the United States. It is therefore no surprise that traffic is becoming more congested and more car crashes are occurring in San Diego.
How Many more car crashes are occurring in San Diego?
Car crashes will always occur at a high rate in san diego county due to the sheer volume of vehicles on the road at a given time. But is the increase in car crashes really that pronounced? The answer is a resounding YES. The California Office of Traffic Safety reported that over 5,200 victims of car crashes were injured or killed in 2013. The number of individuals killed or injured in 2014 was over 8,600. That is nearly a sixty percent increase in the number of individuals injured or killed in car crashes in san diego in just one year. Of those accidents in 2014:
994 car crashes involved alcohol. Nearly 500 crashes involved a motorcycle. Links to all of these 552 involved a bicyclist. Over 600 involved a pedestrian.
Every indication is that this trend will continue, as the population of san diego continues to grow.
What are the most common types of car crashes in San Diego County?
REAR END ACCIDENTS
By far the most common type of car crash is san diego is the rear-end accident. The HHSA indicated that in 2011 there were over 9,300 victims of such accidents in san diego county. Twenty three of the victims ultimately succumbed to their injuries. Speeding, distracted driving, tailgating, and road rage are common causes of rear-end accidents. Often times, drunk driving, texting while driving, and failure to obey traffic signals will also play a role in these types of accidents. With traffic in san diego becoming more and more congested, these types of accidents are likely to occur in a higher volume in the future.
Drunk driving accidents
California vehicle code section 23152(a) states that it is unlawful for a person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage to drive a vehicle. Section 23152(f) adds that it is unlawful for a person who is under the influence of any drug to drive a vehicle. The dangers of driving under the influence are well documented, however, this doesn’t stop millions of people from getting behind the wheel of an automobile while intoxicated each year.
What will 2017 and Beyond bring?
The City of San Diego has not been shy about its stance in the fight against climate change. Local leaders have created an unprecedented transit plan for the future of the city. The goals of this type of transit plan have yet to be reached by any major metropolitan city in the United States as quickly or broadly as the city hopes it will occur.
San Diego’s Climate Action Plan call for cutting the city’s greenhouse-gas emission in half by 2020. California’s largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions happens to be, you guessed it, transportation. This benchmark would require significant state and federal funding to occur between now and 2020. In addition to funding, the plan would require 22 percent of all commuters living within a half-mile of a major transit stop to commute by public transportation by 2020.
In November of last year, a county transportation measure known as the SANDAG transportation tax measure was placed on the ballot. This measure failed to pass the two-third vote required to implement it. Had the measure passed, a half-cent sales tax would have funded, in part, future public transit projects.
The city’s goals for climate change exist because of the congestion on the roads in San Diego. More cars means more greenhouse-gas emissions. San Diego’s Climate Action Plan demonstrates the abundance of automobiles on our roads. Traffic increases by the day as the population of San Diego county continues to grow. Why did the city choose such a drastic reduction plan? Because the problem is getting worse.
Contact the San Diego Car Accident Attorneys at Stipp Law Firm APC
If you have been involved in a car crash in San Diego California, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. At Stipp Law Firm, APC, we are available for a free consultation 24 hours a day. Let us help you start your case immediately and make sure that you are fully compensated for your losses resulting from your injuries.