The Bay Area’s Most Crash-Prone Freeways
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Though frequently frustrating, freeways are an essential part of life in the Bay Area. Due to their necessity, the busiest freeways see approximately one million vehicles daily, according to calculations from available data. While the assertion that a high traffic volume will inevitably lead to more accidents, such details can be misleading. Increased traffic causes greater congestion, which means slower speeds and fewer collisions. In fact, the highest number of accidents across all Bay Area freeways occurs during non-peak hours when drivers are more inclined to speed or engage in distracting behavior behind the wheel. Additionally, some freeways in the Bay Area are more crash-prone than others despite the time of day, so familiarity with where and when most collisions occur may help you avoid a potentially life-altering accident.
The Bay Area car accident attorneys at Arash Law have looked into a multitude of factors, including traffic flow complexities and infrastructural issues, to help advise motorists of the Bay Area’s most dangerous routes. A total of 62 routes stretching approximately 22 million miles throughout the Bay Area were carefully analyzed during a month-long study to determine driving behavior and crash statistics in and out of San Francisco. Anonymized data was used to measure such problematic driving habits as phone use behind the wheel, aggressive acceleration, speeding, and hard braking. Besides finding that, in general, motorists are up to 20% more likely to be involved in accidents during off-peak driving hours like the lunchtime lull, the data was also able to determine the most dangerous freeways in the Bay Area.
The most crash-prone freeway was found to be Interstate 280. Additional data recorded between 2017 and 2019 showed that I-280 was particularly hazardous from Meridian Avenue to Wilshire Boulevard, although not the most dangerous freeway in the area. Stretching from Oakland to Albany, the most perilous highway in the Bay Area is Interstate 80, amassing 15 fatal collisions during the study period. The number of deadly accidents on I-80 makes it the most dangerous Bay Area route and the second deadliest in California. I-80 from Exit 15 to Exit 21 was ranked the third most dangerous stretch in the state. Anyone who can use different routes and wishes to avoid an accident must note that the previously mentioned anonymized data found that Interstate 580 westbound is the safest freeway in the Bay Area.
Drawn from eyewitness accounts, verified data, and expert analysis, the car accident lawyers at Arash Law have aimed to inform drivers and promote safer driving habits for decades. Unfortunately, with negligent driving as prevalent as it is and the high volume of traffic in the Bay Area, accidents are a recurring problem daily. While our attorneys would like for all drivers to exercise due diligence and personal responsibility, the mere fact is that reckless and otherwise negligent motorists will continue to cause severe car crashes. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident by no fault of your own, you must reach out to a Bay Area car accident attorney as soon as possible—call (888) 488-1391 for a free consultation.
Article paid for by: Ascend Agency – ascendagency.com
The news and editorial staff of the Bay Area News Group had no role in this post’s preparation.