Skip to main content

California traffic deaths drop for fifth consecutive year

California saw a decline in overall traffic deaths for the fifth year in a row. According to federal government figures, total vehicle fatalities dropped 11.9 per cent, from 3,081 in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010. Since the latest high of 4,333 in 2005, the 2010 figures show a total decline of 37.3 per cent.
April 20, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSCalifornia saw a decline in overall traffic deaths for the fifth year in a row. According to federal government figures, total vehicle fatalities dropped 11.9 per cent, from 3,081 in 2009 to 2,715 in 2010. Since the latest high of 4,333 in 2005, the 2010 figures show a total decline of 37.3 per cent.

The 2010 figures are the lowest for the state since 1944, when one tenth the number of vehicles travelled one sixteenth the number of miles. While the economy has some effect, officials also point to high visibility enforcement, sobriety checkpoints, multiple public awareness campaigns, safer car construction, better road design, and faster emergency medical services as factors.

"Well-managed traffic safety campaigns by law enforcement throughout the state targeting dangerous driver behaviour is a factor in the continued reduction of traffic-related deaths and injuries," said 1855 California Highway Patrol Commissioner Joe Farrow.

Under a shared vision of Toward Zero Deaths – Every 1 Counts, state and local agencies and organisations have been developing and implementing the California Strategic Highway Safety Plan since 2006. OTS, CHP, 923 California Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 831 Federal Highway Administration, county and local governments, as well as individuals and community organisations like 4949 Mothers Against Drunk Driving have been actively pursuing work on over 150 specific actions contained within Plan.

So that 2012 will continue the gains, the Office of Traffic Safety has now announced $76 million from federal funding to support 213 traffic safety grants to state and local agencies for the grant year that begins on 1 October, 2011. The new grants are a combination of time-tested, successful programmes and emerging efforts, some tackling new problems.

Related Content

  • ITS industry in the US has grown to $48 billion and will expand
    April 17, 2012
    ITS America has released what it says is the most comprehensive study to date on the scope of the ITS industry in the United States and North America. Researchers found intelligent transportation to be a fast growing sector valued at approximately US$48 billion. Results indicate that cities and states with drastically reduced budgets are turning to technology solutions to maximize existing highway capacity.
  • US holiday season: don’t drive - ride!
    November 23, 2022
    Lyft credits are being provided in four US states to discourage seasonal drunk driving
  • ITS industry in the US has grown to $48 billion and will expand
    April 17, 2012
    ITS America has released what it says is the most comprehensive study to date on the scope of the ITS industry in the United States and North America. Researchers found intelligent transportation to be a fast growing sector valued at approximately US$48 billion. Results indicate that cities and states with drastically reduced budgets are turning to technology solutions to maximize existing highway capacity.
  • Downward trend in Scotland’s road casualties ‘good news’ says IAM Roadsmart
    June 30, 2016
    Independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has responded to Transport Scotland’s release of provisional headline figures for road casualties in Scotland, saying it is good news that the long term downward trends in deaths and serious injuries on Scotland’s roads continue but the figures are still far too high. The figures for road casualties reported to the police in Scotland in 2015 show that the total number of casualties fell by three per cent between 2014 and 2015 from 11,307 to 10,950, to the lo