Orange Car Accidents Blamed on "Orange Crush" and Hazardous Roads

Orange, California, in Orange County is a dynamic city with a growing population of over 140,000 people that has been burdened with the on-going tragedy of car accidents. Some areas in the city of Orange are very rural with hillside homes on winding streets. On the other hand, Orange is also the home to that nefarious nexus of three major freeways--Interstate 5 (Santa Ana Freeway), State Route 22 and State Route 57--derisively known as the Orange Crush interchange. Sadly, it's been the site of too many major car accidents.

As John Bisnar explained, "Named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most complex interchange in the world, the Orange Crush is a bumper cars roulette of vehicles weaving and braking to create one of Orange County's worst bottlenecks. It provides 34 routes--including on-ramps and off-ramps--for 629,000 cars a day, traveling in 66 lanes over 13 bridges."

Some of the local Orange neighborhoods have their problems as well. Santiago Canyon Road at Kennymead was the site of a terrible car accident in 2008. Drivers speed down the hill on Santiago without adequate warning signs to alert them of the curve ahead. It also lacks a shoulder, so an out-of-control car can easily slip into the run-off ditch, resulting a potentially lethal rollover accident. In addition, the two yellow warning signs from the cemetery don't warn drivers of an oncoming curve. Drivers mistakenly believe that it's just a side street coming off Santiago Canyon Road. City Traffic Engineers have acknowledged residents' concerns and agreed to upgrade the signage on Santiago Canyon with a warning flasher to alert drivers of an on-coming curve.

In terms of overall accidents in Orange, the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) revealed these statistics for 2006. There were eight auto accident fatalities in the city and 913 traffic accident-related injuries. Alcohol-related collisions accounted for four deaths and 108 injuries. Motorcycle accidents took two lives and injured 36. In addition, 54 bicyclists were injured in car accidents, as were 41 pedestrians.

The city of Orange has been taking steps to reduce the number of car collisions. This includes the creation of a roundabout (often called a traffic circle) to help improve traffic flow. Roundabouts are a substitute for standard intersections and move traffic without stop signs or traffic signals--just yield signs. While they take some getting used to, the U.S. Department of Transportation has endorsed the construction of roundabouts at new and existing intersections. In fact, Department statistics reveal that roundabouts are safer than ordinary intersections with a 90 percent reduction in car accident fatalities, a 76 percent reduction in car injury crashes and a 40 percent reduction in overall car crashes. It's no wonder 150 to 250 roundabouts are built annually. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety likes them as well, saying that modern roundabouts are safer and accommodate more traffic than ordinary intersections.

1439 W. Chapman Avenue Suite D-174

Orange, California 92868
(714) 221-0997

Immediately call an experienced and reputable Orange County Car Accident Lawyer for a free consultation at 1-800-561-4887 or contact the BISNAR | CHASE Orange personal injury attorneys. Read more about car accidents in Orange County at the Orange County Car Accident Digest.

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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.

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