Lake Forest Fatal Car Accidents Climb as County Car Accident Deaths Decline

Lake Forest in Orange County, California is the most densely populated city in South Orange County with over 78,000 people. And while it has an enviable record as one of the nation's safest cities, Lake Forest car accidents have defied countywide trends.

"Lake Forest car accidentstatistics are clearly going in the wrong direction," observed car accident attorney John Bisnar of BISNAR | CHASE Personal Injury Attorneys. "In 2008, there were five car-related deaths in the city; the year before, there was only one. Yet, according to preliminary figures from the California Highway Patrol, 79 people were killed in country surface street collisions in 2008, compared to 128 in 2007."

Many accidents can be blamed on red-light runners. The Automobile Club of Southern California noted that red-light violations at intersections next to freeways cause a high percentage of car collisions. In fact, Lake Forest Drive and Interstate 5 in Lake Forest ranked as one of the top three most dangerous intersections in Orange County. Nationwide, red-light running is among the leading causes of car crashes, responsible for 22 percent of all car collisions, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Traffic experts seem to feel that motorists act irresponsibly by rushing to get on a freeway and speeding to save time. A similar mentality drives motorists when they leave the freeway--they just keep speeding.

Statewide statistics compiled by the California Highway Patrol reveal that in 2002, red-light runners caused 26,018 collisions that resulted in 26,261 injuries and 117 fatalities. In 2001, the CHP recorded 26,181 red-light collisions, resulting in 26,519 injuries and 113 deaths.

To reduce the number of red-light runners and car collisions in Lake Forest, the city set up red-light cameras at Chinook and Lake Forest, and El Toro and Rockfield.

California's traffic enforcement efforts have also taken an aggressive stance against red-light scofflaws. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety's 2007 Annual Performance Report, 1,290 enforcement operations generated 12,071 California red-light tickets.

"Aggressive traffic enforcement efforts and targeted driver education programs can help reduce the number of red-light runner car collisions in Lake Forest," said John Bisnar.

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.