How Do Long Beach Drivers Compare to Others?
Based on statistics comparing drivers in Long Beach to other California cities of comparable sizes, Long Beach drivers are generally pretty safe. There are some specific areas— collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists, for example—where Long Beach has pretty high numbers, but incidents of driving at high speeds or under the influence of alcohol are fewer. Long Beach drivers seem to show proper caution and treat driving with respect, though it may be a dangerous place to walk or ride a bike.
OTS Rankings
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) compiles collision rankings each year to compare how drivers in different cities of comparable sizes perform in terms of collisions with injuries or fatalities. While these numbers might not demonstrate exactly how good drivers in a particular city are, they do allow for comparisons in certain categories to show where there is room for improvement.
According to 2014 OTS Collision Rankings, Long Beach has pretty low numbers of injuries and fatalities in general. The number of injuries and fatalities where alcohol is involved is quite low for such a large city, as are collisions related to high speeds and those that occur at night. These are good general indicators of driver safety and seem to show that most motorists treat driving with respect; and Long Beach’s alcohol-related accidents are low not only for California but also compared to the U.S. overall. California has a lower rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities than the rest of the country, and has the best rate among the five largest states in the U.S.
Watch for Pedestrians and Cyclists
The biggest issue with Long Beach drivers seems to be collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists. While the number of crashes with motorcycles is slightly better than average, there are very high numbers of injuries and fatalities involving pedestrians, especially those under the age of 15 years old. Injuries and fatalities involving bicyclists were also quite high, with a high number of incidents involving a bicyclist under the age of 15. These statistics do not indicate who was at fault in these collisions or other factors, so it is possible that the numbers are especially high due to bicyclists and pedestrians failing to observe proper traffic and safety laws.
There is little information to indicate that Long Beach drivers are especially better or worse than motorists in other areas. But if you or a loved one has been involved in a collision with another driver, call The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV today at (562) 901-0840 or toll free (888) 454-5569. Tell us about what happened and we can discuss your options.