California Injury Blog

This is the fifth in a series of five blogs about staying safe during your summer travels and road trips. Read first four posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Drunk driving crashes are an epidemic in Orange County and California – even more so in the summer. According to California Office of Traffic Safety, 10 Orange County cities rank among the worst statewide for rates of injuries and fatalities caused by driving under the influence. Of all the cities in the state with a population of 100,000 to 250,000, the city of Orange ranks number one for drunk driving collisions and fatalities. Newport Beach ranks number one for DUI crashes among cities with a population between 50,000 and 100,000. Santa Ana ranks third and Anaheim is at number 10 for worst cities with populations greater than 250,000.

Tips to Prevent DUI Collisions

This is the fourth in a series of five articles that will focus on traveling safely during the summer. Read the other posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Before hitting the roadways this summer, it is critical that drivers take a few minutes to check the condition of their tires. Not only do well-maintained tires keep your car safer and help it last longer, but it also helps you save money. It is especially important during the summer travel season that motorists pay attention to aging or degraded tires, particularly when they decide to embark on a road trip.

Tire Failure Statistics

This is the third in a series of five blogs about staying safe during your summer travels and road trips. Read the other posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Summer vacation for many is a time to relax and rejuvenate. However, it is also a hectic time when most families choose to travel. Americans tend to try and pack in as much into a short time as possible. This is also true of road trips. If you are driving on your vacation this summer and have a number of destinations and activities planned, at some point, you may find yourself driving while sleepy or drowsy. Many motorists try to drive late at night to avoid congestion on long road trips. This is asking for trouble because it is when a number of drivers tire themselves out. Traffic safety experts have recognized that driving while drowsy is just as dangerous and risky as driving under the influence.

Drowsy Driving Statistics

Hang Vu, 60, died from injuries she sustained in a Westminster car crash after a vehicle struck her at the parking lot of a supermarket. The Orange County Register reports that the fatal pedestrian collision occurred the morning of May 13, 2013 in the parking lot of the A Dong Supermarket at 9221 Bolsa Avenue in Westminster. Police and paramedics arrived at the scene and found two female pedestrians were injured as a result of the crash.
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Two people suffered injuries in a Fullerton car crash after two Toyota sedans collided head-on at a street intersection. The Orange County Register reports that the injury collision occurred the morning of May 10, 2013 at the intersection of Bastanchury Road and Morelia Avenue. Fire officials say both drivers were treated at the scene and transported to an area trauma center. The nature and extent of the injured victims’ injuries is not known. The investigation is still ongoing.

OC Crash Statistics

There were five fatalities and 665 injuries reported as a result of Fullerton car accidents, according to California Highway Patrol’s 2010 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Countywide, 100 people died and 13,368 were injured due to car crashes during the same year.

This is the second in a series of five blogs about staying safe during your summer travels and road trips. Read the other posts here: Part 1 Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Summer is just around the corner and for most American families that usually means long road trips and vacations. However, summer is also the most dangerous time for travelers. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) came out with statistics recently that 21 of the top 25 deadliest days for teen drivers in particular fall between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Distracted driving has been cited as the top reason for car accidents involving teens followed by speeding, inexperience and additional teen passengers. These factors apply to adult drivers as well. In fact, distracted driving is often referred to as an epidemic in our society today. Distracted driving is not only texting and driving. Any type of activity that takes a driver’s attention away from the roadway or from the act of driving is distracted driving.

Ana Martinez, 36, was killed in a Mission Viejo car crash, which officials say involved a wrong-way driver. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal crash occurred along Santa Margarita Parkway near Los Alisos Boulevard the night of May 7, 2013. Police say the woman was headed north in a Toyota Sienna minivan while a 43-year-old man was going south on the northbound lanes in a Ford truck. The two vehicles collided head-on. Martinez died from her injuries and the man was also transported to an area hospital with unknown injuries. It is not clear why the man was going the wrong way. The investigation is still ongoing.

OC Crash Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2010 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), one person died and 267 were injured as a result of traffic accidents in Mission Viejo. During the same year, 100 fatalities and 13,368 injuries were reported as the result of car accidents countywide.