Carson Car Accidents Linked to Distracted, Inattentive Drivers

Many Carson car accident lawyers have noted that car collisions in this city--as in most L.A. cities--are simply an inevitable fact. With almost 98,000 people, Carson in Los Angeles County, California is flanked by the 110 and the 405 Freeways. Primarily a manufacturing community of factories, refineries and other industrial structures, car accidents here are caused by distracted drivers who simply don't pay attention to traffic.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2001 and 2003, Carson had 13 fatal car collisions. This rate of 1.4 fatal Carson car crashes per 10,000 people was below the national average.

In 2006, the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) reported that six people lost their lives and 441 were injured in Carson car collisions. DUI offenders were responsible for two fatalities and 32 crash injuries. Pedestrian accidents resulted in two deaths and 23 injuries. Bicycle collisions killed one and injured 15. Motorcycle accidents injured 31.

In 2007, six car crashes resulted in as many deaths in Carson. Included in this count was the female passenger of a car that struck the rear of an ambulance that had stopped to help a motorist. The colliding car flipped over and burned, trapping the woman in the front passenger seat. The 20-year-old driver suffered moderate injuries.

Carson car collision attorneys claim that a majority of the city's accidents are caused by red-light runners, inattentive driving and cell phone distractions. According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, drivers yakking on cell phones cause 2,600 fatalities and 330,000 injuries in the U.S. every year. Motorists preoccupied by cell phones are 18 percent slower to react to brake lights, and they take 17 percent longer to recover their car speed after having suddenly stopped for traffic. This creates a distracting and potentially dangerous caterpillar effect in traffic.

To help prevent car collisions, Carson strongly enforces California's new hands-free cell phone law, which took effect July 1, 2008. Another measure designed to improve traffic safety is the city's DUI checkpoints program. Checkpoints were set up on Main Street south of Torrance Blvd. and on Avalon Blvd north of Carson St. on Friday, November 15, 2008 between the hours of 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. Pro-active steps like these can prevent tragedies in the city.

Be on the Hit-and-Run Lookout

BISNAR | CHASE, in conjunction with WeTip, a leading anonymous crime reporting service and law enforcement advocacy non-profit organization, is launching a program intended to wipe out hit-and-runs in the state of California by offering rewards for tips leading to the arrest and felony conviction of hit-and-run drivers. See Hit-and-Run Reward for more details.

BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.