According to the Agoura Patch, California’s drivers ranked 18th in the United States in the category of worst drivers. Only 17 states had worse drivers than California, according to statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Further, the United States ranked 19th among similar economic countries in the category of destructive driving.
The items that were taken into account for these rankings included drunk driving, careless driving, auto accident fatalities, seatbelt use, driving without a license, speeding and failure to obey traffic laws. According to the statistics, the worst characteristics of California drivers was their drunk driving and speeding.
The statistics showed that the best drivers were in Iowa and the worst drivers were in Montana. According to the California Highway Patrol, texting and phone use were the main causes of drivers being distracted while driving. Other common distractions that lead to California car accidents include eating and drinking, reading, grooming, adjusting the music, and using navigation.
Californians should use this information to try to improve their driving habits, to prevent car accidents. Many of these distractions lead to truck accidents, pedestrian accidents and wrongful death accidents. We also frequently see bicyclists that are struck by distracted drivers. Recently, one of our clients was struck while riding his bicycle in the bike lane, when a car swerved into the bike lane and struck him, causing him serious injuries.
Drivers need to be aware that their actions have ramifications beyond themselves. Not only can they cause injury to themselves or get a ticket for their illegal actions, they can serious injury or wrongful death to others that they do not know. These things will also cause their insurance rates to go up. It is very simple, California drivers need to keep their eyes on the road and operate their vehicles safely, so we can limit senseless personal injuries and wrongful deaths.