It’s no secret that Los Angeles County is notorious for its traffic, however data warns of a serious uptick in accidents as well. Despite several initiatives to help decrease car accidents and prevent fatalities, numbers continue to rise. These devastating accidents occur so often that in Los Angeles, a person is killed as a result of a crash about every 36 hours on average. In the first half of 2021, the city averaged one traffic death about every 30 hours.

With its already high accident statistics, it continues to grow substantially year after year. According to the LAist report, the first half of 2021 saw a worrisome increase in multiple categories of accidents when compared to 2020. Data showed that –

• DUI crashes increased 20%
• Severe DUI crashes where a serious injury occurred increased 73% 
• Fatal DUI crashes increased 9% 
• Fatal hit-and-run crashes increased 25% 
• Severe hit-and-run crashes increased 20% 
• Crashes where a driver seriously injured a pedestrian increased 45% 
• Crashes where a driver seriously injured a bicyclist increased 34%
• Crashes where a driver killed a bicyclist increased 40% 

With this continued increase it poses the question of why this is occurring. The two main overarching issues are infrastructure and driver negligence. With infrastructure, California roads have poor conditions causing congestion, traffic delays, and collisions. 

In 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave California a grade of “D” for the conditions and status of its roads and highways.

Over the next few years, the Los Angeles Transportation Department will focus on making the most dangerous roads in Los Angeles a bit safer. Specific actions to take include more visible road signs, installing speed meter signs, widening sidewalks to protect pedestrians, adding medians, and adjusting traffic signals. 

When it comes to driver negligence as the cause of an accident, many think of speeding while driving. While that is a common issue on the road, it is not the only contributing factor to accidents at the hands of the driver. Commonly cited causes of traffic accidents in Los Angeles also include:

• Driving at night
• Aggressive driving
• Drinking and driving
• Smoking and driving
• Texting while driving
• Lane-splitting
• Fatigued driving
• Failing to merge and yield properly
• Following too closely

To help prevent these horrific accidents, it is also on drivers to make an effort to drive more safely. Drivers are encouraged to follow all posted traffic laws, drive without distractions, and operate their vehicle with care. It will take both structural changes and the cooperation of drivers to help lessen these staggering statistics. 

While our hope is always for the wellbeing and safety of others, if you are ever involved in an accident in Los Angeles county and believe you may be entitled to compensation, reach out to the MAJK team. We understand these devastating collisions occur all too often and want to help ensure you receive what you deserve so you can focus on your recovery.