Personal InjuryAnaheim Car Accidents Caused by Unsafe Roads and Speeding
Like many in cities in Orange County, Anaheim car accidents have grown steadily as the small town transformed into a sprawling suburb with a huge tourist population. In 2004, Anaheim suffered 31 fatal car accidents involving 52 vehicles and 84 people. Most of the vehicles involved in those car crashes were traveling at an average speed of 65 mph. Two years later, 38 people were killed and 2,210 injured in Anaheim car accidents. Alcohol related collisions resulted in 16 fatalities and 168 injuries.
Predictably, speed played a part in many of these car accidents, as did the roads that invite speeding. One example is the intersection of Nohl Ranch Road and Meats Avenue, which many residents say is highly dangerous with drivers often ignoring the posted 35 mph speed limit. This serpentine road through Anaheim Hills mirrors the path of the 91 Freeway and lacks the stoplights needed to break a car's momentum. Called the most dangerous road in Orange County, it has gained its notoriety through the tragedy of injuries and lost lives.
Back in 2001, a driver lost control of his truck, killing a local optometrist and injuring six others near the intersection of Imperial Highway and Nohl Ranch Road. In 2003, two young men were killed nearby when their speeding car crossed the road's center divider, crashing with an oncoming car.
"The mix of high speeds and winding roads has long been a recipe for disaster," noted John Bisnar of the BISNAR | CHASE law firm. "More stop signs and aggressive policing of these roads can help bring down the rate of car accidents."
While local residents have fought for more stop signs and traffic signals to slow down traffic, Anaheim's policies are based on specific guidelines. These take into account traffic and pedestrian volumes, accident history, and any unusual conditions. In fact, the city points to studies that show how simply improving an intersection's visibility by prohibiting parking near it is often more effective in reducing potential conflict points. They insist that too many stop signs reduce their effectiveness, and that they're typically ignored by drivers speeding up between stop signs.
As a consolation, parents and child safety advocates were partially appeased by the installation of two new pedestrian traffic signals and four radar speed feedback signs. Part of the Caltrans Safe Routes to School Program, the improvements went up on Sunkist Street between Ball Road and South Street for James Guinn and Benito Juarez Elementary Schools. Also added were a traffic signal and two radar speed feedback signs on Riverdale Avenue between Finch Street and Lakeview Avenue for Riverdale Elementary School. The Safe Routes to School Program was designed to improve child safety by decreasing traffic around elementary and junior high schools.
"The Caltrans Safe Routes to School Program is a big step in the right direction," said John Bisnar. "Streets and intersections frequented by children deserve special attention."
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