The possibility of vehicular accidents is likely anywhere, but California has long had a driving culture and one of the highest rates of accidents reported in the U.S. The major and often famous highways in the state, including Avenue of the Giants (California 1) have been the backdrop of many road trips. US 101 is the longest of the state’s major highways, that hugs the scenic Pacific coastline in some areas, leading to an extensive series of rural roads and main arteries. These in turn connect to the 67 Interstate traversed daily for 50 years now. The state officially celebrates the 50-year anniversary of their elaborate interstate system this year.
Predictably, the major cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco (Bay Area) have the highest rate of accidents recorded on Accident Data Center. As noted by the California Office of Traffic Safety in 2012, California’s traffic fatalities increased 1.5 percent (2,816 vs. 2,857) – still one of the lowest levels since the federal government began recording traffic fatalities in 1975. According to the LA Weekly in 2012 there were ‘about 20,000 hit-and-run crashes, from fender benders to multiple fatalities, are recorded by the Los Angeles Police Department each year.’ The California Department of Transportation provides the latest updates in traffic safety and accidents for the state.
