Highway Accident Statistics For 2008 Show Decrease in Deaths

January 10, 2009

According to reports by the California Highway Patrol while highway accidents have risen the amount of deaths have decreased in the State of California.

According to Officer Gary Fernandez of the California Highway Patrol’s information office the California Highway Patrol investigated 1,119 accidents during 2008, which amounted to an 8 percent increase over the amount 1,036 accidents investigated in 2007. Fernandez also stated the amount of accidents while driving under the influence rose in 2008 over the amount in 2007. During 2008 the California Highway Patrol investigated 127 accidents where drivers were suspected of driving under the influence, which equals approximately 11.2 percent. In 2007 of the 1,036 accidents investigated there were 113 accidents involving alleged driving under the influence or approximately 10.9 percent.

During 2008 there were fewer mountain accidents involving fatalities which the California Highway patrol contributes to their slow down campaign. Even with the fewer fatalities on mountain roads the amount of motorcycle fatalities, both in 2007 with 19 motorcycle fatalities on mountain highways and 10 fatalities during 2008 according to the statistics.

According to Officer Fernandez the California Highway Patrol believes one of the reasons for the decrease in fatal accidents during 2008 is their number of arrests for drivers allegedly driving under the influence. During 2008 there was a 16 percent raise in arrests for suspected drivers under the influence with 364 arrests of drivers with a .08 or higher blood alcohol level. In the year 2007 there were 307 similar arrests made by the California Highway Patrol. The arrests made during the period from Christmas through New Years were higher in 2008 as compared to 2007. This means car accident lawyers in Los Angeles are unable to stay as busy as before.

Researchers at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that in 2007, traffic fatalities nationwide were the lowest since 1984, and they are expected to dip further in 2008.

Through October of this year, deaths nationally dropped 9.8 percent, compared with the same months in 2007, according to preliminary reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In California, the percentage of fatalities is even lower with a 21.1 percent drop during the first 10 months of 2008, according to data compiled by the California Highway Patrol.

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Fatality figures are expected to change as more data is funneled to the reporting agencies.

"Those are provisional numbers. The counts will change. As reports come in we'll enter them each month," said Jaime Coffee, spokeswoman for the CHP in Sacramento.

Final 2008 statistics from the NHTSA will be available in summer 2009.

Increased gasoline costs during 2008 contributed to the decrease in fatalities, said Elaine Beno, spokeswoman for AAA.

"In Riverside, gas prices rose to $4.61 a gallon. Motorists made choices where they were going to drive and how long," Beno said. "Fewer miles driven means fewer injuries."

Safety equipment in cars is one factor behind the decrease in deaths, Beno said.

"Passenger airbags are now standard on almost all vehicles. Some have side air bags. That always helps," Beno said.

Coffee said she believes increased traffic education and enforcement of traffic laws during busy travel times have helped, too.

During the holidays, when people are most likely to be on the roads, up to 80 percent of CHP officers are working, she said.

"Hopefully with a visual presence of the officers, people will feel the need to slow down," Coffee said.

During the recent four-day Thanksgiving maximum enforcement period, 33 people died in California collisions, compared with last year's 41 fatalities during the same period, Coffee said.

At least three Thanksgiving-weekend deaths were in the Inland area.

A Quail Valley teen driving a stolen car died during a car chase with police in Temecula. A Long Beach man was killed after his car was rear-ended on Highway 60 in Beaumont. A San Bernardino woman who was ejected from her pickup after losing control of the vehicle on a San Bernardino street also died.

Maximum enforcement periods for the Christmas weekend began at 6 p.m. Tuesday and will continue through midnight Sunday. New Year's weekend will see an increase in CHP officers on the road, Coffee said.

Coffee offered tips to drivers on the road for the holiday season.

"Wear seatbelts. Don't drink and drive. Get lots of rest. A drowsy driver is as dangerous as a (drunken) driver," Coffee said.