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FHWA Home / Safety / Transportation Safety Planning (TSP) / State Safety Fact Sheets

Program Contact

Jennifer Warren
jennifer.warren@dot.gov
(202) 366-2157
 

State Safety Fact Sheets

PDF Version

California

FHWA-SA-11-38

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of people who died in crashes across the country decreased from 37,423 in 2008 to 33,808 in 2009. In addition, the number of people injured declined for the ninth year in a row to just over 2.2 million. Even in light of these reductions, motor vehicle crashes remain a significant problem. These traffic crashes cost the Nation over $230 billion each year. To improve safety, a coordinated response is needed from all levels and branches of government – Federal agencies, State legislatures, city and county councils, and local agencies. A coordinated response should result in increased safety funding, more effective safety laws, and enhanced education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency response efforts targeting critical safety issues. As part of the overall strategy to reduce fatalities and serious injuries, California has an approved Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), which identifies the following challenge areas: impaired driving, leaving the roadway and head-on collisions, driver licensing and competency, safety belts/child safety seats, driver decisions about rights of way/turning, young drivers, intersections/interchanges, walking/street crossing, older roadway users, speeding/aggressive driving, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, bicycling, work zones, post crash survivability, data collection/access/analysis, and distracted driving. To obtain a copy of the SHSP, contact the State DOT or FHWA Division Office Safety Specialist.

Fatality Trends

Indicators CA U.S.
Total Fatalities
2009 3,081 33,808
Average: 2000-2009 3,922 41,157
Fatality Rate (per 100M VMT)
2009 0.95 1.14
Average: 2000-2009 1.21 1.41

Graph - Roadway fatalities in California increased from 3,753 in 2000 to 4,333 in 2005 before decreasing to 3,081 in 2009. Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled increased from 1.22 in 2000 to 1.32 in 2005 and decreased to 0.95 in 2009. Fatality rate in the country continuously decreased from 1.53 in 2000 to 1.14 in 2009.

Fatality rate is calculated based on State fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Total fatalities are taken from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2000-2008 Final & 2009 Annual Report File (ARF).

Safety Focus Areas

This chart represents national safety focus areas and their corresponding percentages of total crash fatalities in the State and in the Nation. More than one of these focus areas may be involved as contributing factors in a single crash.

Graph - Shows average fatalities between 2005 and 2009 as a percentage of total crash fatalities for various safety focus areas. Intersections 21 percent in California, 21 percent nationwide; Roadway departure crashes 49 percent in California, 53 percent nationwide; Pedestrian 17 percent in California, 12 percent nationwide; Speeding 34 percent in California, 32 percent nationwide; Alcohol-related crashes 35 percent California, 37 percent nationwide; Unrestrained fatalities 21 percent California, 36 percent nationwide; Fatalities involving large trucks 9 percent in California, 11 percent nationwide.

In the graphic, "Intersections" refers to non-interchange intersection/intersection-related crashes; "Roadway Departures" refers to non-intersection crashes in which a vehicle crosses an edge line, a centerline, or leaves the traveled way (includes intersections at interchange areas); "Alcohol" refers to crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol content (BAC) =.01+; "Unrestrained" refers to unrestrained passenger vehicles occupant fatalities (does not include unknown restraint use).

Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2000-2008 Final & 2009 Annual Report File (ARF).

Rural and Urban Roadway Fatalities

Pie chart - 61 percent of traffic-related fatalities occur on California's urban roadways, 39 percent occur on the rural roads. Graph - Shows fatalities by rural roadway facility type from 2005 to 2009. Rural Interstate fatalities: 270 in 2005, 253 in 2006, 191 in 2007, 188 in 2008, 155 in 2009. Rural principal arterial fatalities: 338 in 2005, 278 in 2006, 289 in 2007, 348 in 2008, 576 in 2009. Rural minor arterial fatalities: 514 in 2005, 452 in 2006, 406 in 2007, 196 in 2008, 104 in 2009. Rural collector and local fatalities: 619 in 2005, 580 in 2006, 610 in 2007, 592 in 2008, 484 in 2009.

Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2000-2008 Final & 2009 Annual Report File (ARF).

Pie chart - 35 percent of traffic-related fatalities occur on the nation’s urban roadways, 65 percent occur on the nation's rural roads. Graph - Shows fatalities by urban roadway facility type from 2005 to 2009. Urban Interstate fatalities: 758 in 2005, 749 in 2006, 719 in 2007, 649 in 2008, 591 in 2009. Urban principal arterial fatalities: 815 in 2005, 872 in 2006, 711 in 2007, 583 in 2008, 433 in 2009. Urban minor arterial fatalities: 658 in 2005, 615 in 2006, 621 in 2007, 483 in 2008, 362 in 2009. Urban collector and local fatalities: 341 in 2005, 420 in 2006, 446 in 2007, 395 in 2008, 376 in 2009.

Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2000-2008 Final & 2009 Annual Report File (ARF).

For the purposes of this document, the terms urban and rural are based on the definition published in the American National Standard (ANSI D16.1-1996).

For More Information

The Transportation Safety Planning Working Group

Fatality Analysis Reporting System

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Federal Highway Administration Division Office Contacts

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Planning

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety

Federal Highway Administration Resource Center

Contacts Planning Team Leader
FHWA, California Division
650 Capitol Mall, Suite 4-100
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 498-5001

Jennifer Warren
Transportation Specialist
FHWA, Office of Safety, E71-113
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-2157
Fax (202) 366-3222
Jennifer.Warren@dot.gov

Rae Keasler
Transportation Planner
FHWA, Office of Planning, E72-109
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
(202) 366-0329
Fax (202) 493-2198
Rae.Keasler@dot.gov

Safety and Design or Planning Team
FHWA Resource Center
One Prairie Office Center
4749 Lincoln Mall Drive, Suite 600
Matteson, IL 60443
Phone: (708) 283-3500
Fax: (708) 283-3501

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