California has many residents. It has large cities like San Fransisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. It also has many smaller towns. It has many highways as well. You can travel up and down the coast by car. You might enjoy doing that, as this state frequently gets nice weather, even at times of the year when you may see snow and ice elsewhere.
While driving through California can seem pleasant, you need to watch yourself while you do it. Even if you feel like you’re an excellent driver, you might still experience an accident. 2017 saw 3,904 California traffic deaths, and that number remains fairly consistent year by year. Why does California have some of America’s deadliest streets and highways, though? It’s a question well worth talking about, and we will do so in detail right now.
Road Rage Incidents
You might point to road rage incidents as one reason why California has so many traffic fatalities. You may encounter someone who exhibits road rage in any state, but it seems sometimes as though California has a lot of these individuals. You can certainly speculate about that. Many people seem to feel that it is because of the fast-paced lifestyle that many Californian residents crave.
While the state may have plenty of beach bums who like to surf and take life slowly, you also have plenty of other individuals who seem to go a little crazy when they get behind the wheel. You can see plenty of them on the highways in and around Los Angeles, in particular.
They will frequently tailgate you in the fast lane if they do not feel like you’re keeping up with their idea of how fast you should drive. They might honk at you, flash their lights, or make rude gestures. If you see any of that, it’s best that you get out of the way. Switching lanes rather than yelling or gesturing back could save your life. You never know who has a weapon in the trunk or stashed under the front seat.
A Sense of Entitlement
You can also point to a sense of entitlement that some drivers seem to have. Speaking of Los Angeles again, you can’t go far before running into someone in the movie or TV business. Maybe they are a star, or maybe they just think they deserve star status.
You might also encounter models, producers, or others who feel that they’re the main attraction not just in the studio, but when they’re on local roads or highways as well. They may try to run through a yellow light right when it’s turning red. Others may do a rolling stop at a stop sign, or maybe they won’t acknowledge it at all. You can feel safe in saying that more than a few individuals on California’s roadways have ingested alcohol to the point where they’re over the legal limit. Others might indulge in marijuana before driving or various illegal drugs.
Speeding
You will often see drivers speeding on California’s highways. They don’t just do it in the fast lane, either. During rush hour, you might feel you’re about to have a heart attack if you’re from a small town in the Midwest and you’re not used to this kind of driver. They will zip from lane to lane any time they see an opening, often laying on the horn.
Testing of Driverless Cars
You may see a car without nobody’s hands on the steering wheel, or occasionally you may see a vehicle with no driver at all. Generally, you’ll see these cars on side streets in San Diego or San Fransisco rather than on the highways.
In this area, several competing companies are testing this technology. While they haven’t perfected it yet, they’re hard at work. Some experts in the field seem to think that we could see widespread sale and use of driverless cars by 2035, though others don’t feel as sure. If you see a driverless car, it is best that you keep a safe distance. The technology does not have perfect status yet, and these vehicles do sometimes cause accidents.
Complex Intersections
You might also have a car hit you when you are entering or trying to get out of a complicated intersection where several roads converge. In Los Angeles, you will find several of these. They almost resemble the roundabouts that you’ll run into in many European cities. You might not feel sure when you should go or when you have a green light, even if you’re an experienced driver.
If you have one of these intersections on your regular route, you will probably learn what to do there relatively quickly, but some other driver might panic or surge forward at the wrong time. In those moments, you must slam on the brakes and hope for the best.
Freeway Exits and Entrances
You will also often see accidents at freeway exits or entrances. You might have someone on a four or even a five-lane highway who’s several lanes away when they realize they need to cross multiple lanes of traffic to get to their exit. They may have no issues trying to cut across several lanes at once to get off the highway rather than waiting and getting off at the next exit.
Street Racing
We should also mention one additional issue that causes many California accidents. Street racing has illegal status there, just like in other states, but that doesn’t mean you won’t run into it from time to time, especially late at night. If you encounter street racers, it might terrify you. They may fly by doing 90 in a 35-mile-per-hour zone and think nothing of it.
In short, California probably has more than its fair share of drivers who don’t respect the state’s laws very well. If you drive there, exercise caution and follow the rules. Defensive driving could save your life or prevent a serious injury.
