San Fernando Valley Car Accidents and Pedestrian Accidents Raise Safety Concerns

As most San Fernando Valley car accident lawyers know, Police are "pulling out the stops" to reduce the escalating rate of car crashes and pedestrian accidents in the Southern California suburb of San Fernando Valley. Concerns arose after a report revealed as many as 90 fatalities occurred on 20 San Fernando Valley streets over the past three years.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the San Fernando Valley's most dangerous street--Laurel Canyon Boulevard--accounted for 11 car accident deaths in three years through 2002. Coming in a close second was Burbank Boulevard with 10 fatal car collisions, followed by Nordhoff Street with seven fatalities. Car collisions on these three streets seriously injured another 74 people. Coming in fourth with six fatalities and 45 serious injuries was Ventura Boulevard, one of the primary east-west thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley.

"Problem streets and intersections, where San Fernando Valley car accidents occur with disturbing frequency, and call for better driver education and increased traffic enforcement," observed John Bisnar.

Working to improve the safety of San Fernando Valley's problem streets, officials set their sights on the 40 percent of all Los Angeles intersections earmarked as dangerous. Police officers began to heavily target speeders and other reckless motorists in these trouble spots. The LAPD's Valley Traffic Division equipped some of its 71 motorcycle officers with $3,500 laser-sensor devices. This new technology, police insist, is more effective in catching speeding motorists than radar guns, adding that San Fernando Valley has the worst record when it comes to speeding scofflaws.

The San Fernando Valley was also plagued by a disturbing increase in pedestrian accidents, which rose by 100 percent in the first two months of 2008. Bicyclists were also being struck at an alarming rate due to negligent and speeding motorists.

To help reduce this dangerous rise in pedestrian accidents, the LAPD set up a "sting" operation on careless and negligent drivers. Plainclothes officers repeatedly traversed accident-prone crosswalks with nearby officers ready to cite drivers who violated traffic signals or refused to grant pedestrians the right of way.

"Motorists must be ever vigilant as they approach crosswalks; they should anticipate the movement of pedestrians, especially children and teenagers," exclaimed 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.