Every year, California’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) releases its Annual Report, providing an overview of traffic safety statistics, as well as programs, activities, and initiatives put forth by the organization in the previous fiscal year. The 2020 report included some promising statistics relative to traffic safety and motorcycles, teenage drivers, and pedestrians. Let’s take a look at some of the statistics and what they mean for Californians.
For 2019, Motorcycle fatalities decreased 9.4% to 474 (down from 523 in 2018). Additionally, motorcycle fatalities per 100,000 motorcycle registrations decreased from 68.6% in 2017 to 63.56% in 2018 (the 2019 statistics are still pending). The percentage of motorcycle operators killed with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or greater also decreased from 25% in 2017 to 24% in 2018 (again, the most current statistic available).
One negative motorcycle statistic from the 2020 Annual Report pertained to the percentage of motorcycle operators killed that were improperly licensed. For the most current year available (2018), there was actually a slight increase to 67.8% (from 67% in 2017).
Overall, the motorcycle traffic safety statistics for 2020 were good news for California riders.
Teenage drives are well-known for being less experienced behind the wheel and therefore more prone to car accidents involving distracted driving, speeding, or any number of other factors. However, California’s teenage drivers actually saw better statistical figures pertaining to safety for the year 2019.
Teenage motor vehicle fatalities (age 16-19) actually decreased 25.2% to 164 in 2019 (down from 219 in 2018). And teen driver fatalities (age 16-19) also decreased 12.7% to 83 in 2019 (down from 95 in 2018).
Overall, 2019 was a much safer year (statistically) for California’s teenage drivers when compared to 2018.
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As we’ve noted in previous blogs, pedestrians and bicyclists share California’s roads and highways with cars, trucks, scooters, and more. Accordingly, both categories are prone to motor vehicle accidents, many of which result in fatalities due to the lack of protection offered as a pedestrian or a bicyclist.
But pedestrian fatalities thankfully decreased slightly in 2019. Though there were still 972 bicycle fatalities in California, that number was an annual decrease from 2018, when 978 occurred. While still a positive in terms of overall safety for pedestrians, bicyclist fatalities saw a much more substantial decrease in 2019.
Throughout California, bicycle fatalities decreased 19.4% to 133 in 2019. That was a significant drop from the 165 bicycle fatalities that occurred in 2018.
While all three categories saw an improvement in overall safety based on fatalities, motor vehicle injuries remain a serious concern throughout California. The 2020 Annual Report estimated that the five-year average of serious traffic injuries would actually increase 12.5% (from an average of 12,208 to 13,740) by the end of 2020.
As the latest report is based on the previous year’s data, we still don’t have the numbers to confirm that the five-year average increased at that rate. However, it’s important to note that while motorcycle, teenage driver, and bicycle fatalities all decreased, the chance of injury in an accident is projected to continue increasing.
If you happen to be injured in a California motor vehicle accident, what should you do?
While we’ve outlined the 10 steps to take after an accident in a previous blog, let’s re-review what to do after completing the most important step: receiving medical attention.
After any injuries have been attended to by a medical professionsal, your next call should be to an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you file a claim to recover financial compensation for various types of damages. After a motorcycle, bicycle, or even a teenage driving accident, the injuries sustained can leave you with financial losses, such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. These financial losses are referred to as ‘damages,’ and they can be recovered via a personal injury lawsuit.
By calling the Car Accident Division at Dordulian Law Group (DLG), we can assess the circumstances of your case and help you determine whether or not proceeding with legal action would be beneficial.
DLG offers car accident victims added benefits that can help ensure their claims leads to maximum allowable financial damages awards. Our Founder and President, Sam Dordulian, previously served as a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. In that role, Dordulian garnered invaluable courtroom experience, amassing over 100 jury trial victories.
While most personal injury firms will quickly settle for a lowball offer from the insurance company, at DLG we prepare every case for trial. With Dordulian’s courtroom experience, we never have to settle for a settlement offer from an at-fault party or insurance company that is not in our client’s best interest. Instead, if necessary we take the case to trial and prove it before a jury.
With Dordulian’s experience in jury trials, we’re able to ensure that our injured car accident clients recover the damages they need to make a complete recovery – physically, emotionally, and financially.
Additionally, each DLG car accident claim is investigated by a former LADP detective who spent nearly 30 years with the department (much of the time with the elite Central Traffic Division). DLG’s Chief Investigator, Moses Castillo, leads all car accident claim investigations, ensuring that every piece of evidence which can help prove your case and lead to a larger damages award is recovered. In car accident personal injury claims, the smallest piece of evidence can be the difference between a $10,000 settlement and a $10 million settlement. With DLG, clients have the added advantage of having a retired LAPD detective investigating their case and uncovering critical evidence.
Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.
Finally, at DLG we have two attorneys within our Car Accident Division who previously worked as defense counsel for major auto insurance corporations. These large companies use teams of high-powered attorneys to attempt to intimidate or bully car accident victims into settlements that may not be in their best interests. Lowball settlement offers may not cover future medical care you may need after an unfortunate car accident accident, or consider the lost earning capacity you may face after an injury.
But with DLG, car accident victims can rest easy knowing that we have two auto insurance industry insiders on our team, fighting for our clients. They know every dirty trick in the book utilized by these major corporations, and they’re able to effectively counter those on behalf of our clients.
With a 98% success rate and history of recovering over $200 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients, DLG is simply the best option in California for a car accident attorney. Contact us online or by phone at 866-GO-SEE-SAM to file a claim today.
With our No Win/No Fee Guarantee, you never pay a thing until we recover a maximum financial damages award on your behalf.
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