Common Causes of Car Accidents in California 

Common causes of car accidents in California include distracted driving, fatigued driving, speeding, alcohol or drug impairment, and road rage. Most often, accidents occurred because someone exhibited unsafe driving behavior.

They may have done so habitually without causing an accident, only for their luck to run out. Unfortunately, their negligence may ultimately harm others, sometimes more than it harms them.

Distracted Driving As The Top Cause of Car Accidents in California

The California Office of Traffic Safety conducted a survey to discover what California motorists’ top traffic safety concern may be. Reporting on this, the LA County Department of Public Health notes that 74.2% of people correctly believe that distracted driving is among the biggest dangers that they face. Categories of distraction include:

• Manual distraction
• Visual distraction
• Auditory distraction
• Cognitive distraction

Mobile phone use is a common form of distraction, during which all four forms may be present simultaneously. Other distractions may include eating, adjusting controls, talking to passengers, listening to loud music, and even simple daydreaming.

In Los Angeles County alone, there are up to 22,000 crashes involving distracted driving every year. Official statistics attributed 148 fatalities in California to distracted driving in 2022, although experts believe distracted driving is often underreported.

Speeding

Whether it stems from haste or impatience, speeding can have fatal consequences. Figures published by UC Berkeley show that Californians appear to be more prone to speeding than their counterparts elsewhere.

While speeding was a factor in 29% of accident fatalities nationwide, speeding contributed to 32% of car accident fatalities in California. Speeding often overlaps with other risky behaviors. For example, 38% of drivers who were speeding at the time of a fatal crash were also driving under the influence of alcohol, and 51% of them were not wearing safety belts.

Alcohol Impairment

Although everyone knows that alcohol impairs coordination and judgment, lengthens reaction time, and can even impair vision, many people still take their lives and the lives of others into their hands by driving under the influence.

The California Office of Traffic Safety noted a 4.5% decrease in car accident fatalities linked to alcohol use between 2022 and 2023, but it remains a leading cause of car accidents in California. Most of these accidents occur at times when people are more likely to indulge in social drinking: over weekends, holidays like Labor Day Weekend, or at night.

Drug Impairment

Drug-impaired driving deserves attention as a common root cause of car accidents in California. In its analysis of 2021 figures, the California Office of Traffic Safety found that over 50% of drivers who died in car accidents tested positive for legal or illegal drugs.

The figure cited includes prescription drugs that may affect driving ability, highlighting the need for awareness of the possible risks of driving on medication before deciding whether to drive.

Additionally, driving while impaired by cannabis is illegal in every state, including states that permit medicinal or recreational marijuana use. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) research suggests that injury crashes in California increased by 6% after retail sales were allowed.

Fatigued Driving

Just being tired behind the wheel might not sound like a huge risk, but the CDC reports that sleep deprivation can cause impairment equal to or greater than alcohol consumption. The CDC reports that being awake for 24 hours may impair driving ability similarly to having a BAC of approximately 0.10%.

Long-haul travelers, including truckers, are among those most prone to driving while sleep-deprived. Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has strict hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers, they may still be under pressure and fail to comply.

Interactions And Additional Causes of Car Accidents in California

Many crashes cannot be attributed to a single mistake. Drivers may engage in multiple risky behaviors at once. For example, they may be speeding while distracted or driving while fatigued.

Other common causes of car accidents in California include aggressive driving, hazardous road conditions, and poor vehicle maintenance. If you have been injured in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, a car accident attorney may be able to identify the cause and help you seek compensation.