Californian statistics: Crashes and fatalities for 2015
California has a population of over 3.9 million people, as of 2015. Out of that population, there were over 335.5 million miles traveled that same year, the most of any state in the country. It may not be a surprise that there were more fatal crashes in California that year than in any other state. A total of 2,925 fatal crashes took place with 3,176 total fatalities. That makes the death rate for the population around 8.1 people out of every 100,000.
Although California was the home of the most fatal crashes, it didn’t have the highest number of fatalities per its population. Wyoming actually had the greatest number of fatalities per 100,000 people, with 24.7 deaths per 100,000.
The people most likely to suffer a fatality in a crash in California were car occupants at a 37 percent rate. Next were pedestrians at 23 percent of all fatalities. The least likely to be killed were large truck occupants, who made up only 1 percent of the total fatalities in 2015.
It’s important to point out that although there is a great number of crashes, around 55 percent of those crashes are single-vehicle accidents. In 2015, 1,806 of the crashes in California involved only one vehicle. This goes to show that it’s extremely important for people to drive safely. Paying attention to the road, getting a vehicle maintained regularly and avoiding drinking and driving could save the lives of many who drive and end up in single-vehicle collisions.
No collision has to happen. By focusing on the road and paying attention to what’s happening around you, you can help prevent a crash. Speak to a Sacramento car accident lawyer to learn more.
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “General statistics,” accessed Dec. 04, 2017