Santa Ana Car Accidents Responsible for Pedestrian Fatalities

Santa Ana car accidents have given the city the distinction of the highest pedestrian fatality rate in Southern California. In one instance, a 61-year-old man speeding on Broadway hit a crossing guard, breaking both of her legs. The 51-year-old guard couldn't work for months and needed a cane to walk. While the driver was at fault, all he got was a speeding ticket and a $170 fine. Then there was Valeria Campos, a two-year-old toddler. Hit by a motorist in front of her home on Baker Street, Valeria suffered scrapes and bruises. The driver was fined $103.

In Santa Ana, pedestrians are frequently blamed for these car accidents. The city's police have faulted hundreds of child injuries and deaths on children, including an alarming number of hit-and-run car accidents.

"Drivers in as many as 34 other states are charged with a higher level of responsibility and vigilance when they encounter pedestrians, children or the elderly heading toward a crosswalk," noted John Bisnar of the BISNAR | CHASE law firm. "Pedestrians shouldn't bear the brunt of responsibility for car accidents. Instead, motorists should be aware of a child's limited attention span and restless nature and the slower reaction times of older persons or those partially disabled."

Regrettably, when pedestrians are hit in a crosswalk, Santa Ana motorists often face lower fines than those imposed for littering, running a red light, or driving alone in a carpool lane. Incredibly, motorists who hit a pedestrian while speeding or running a stop sign, often pay only "moving violation" fines and suffer no other penalties.

Adding insult to injury, as many as 50 streets in Santa Ana have had their posted speed limits increased since 1987. State car accident statistics show that some streets had their speed limits raised even after pedestrian accident rates went up.

Car accidents nearly doubled on a one-mile stretch of Warner Avenue after the city raised the speed limit.

Three pedestrians were injured in the 17 months before the limit was raised on a portion of 17th Street. After the increase, four people were hit by cars and one person was killed.

On one stretch of West 1st Street, the speed limit was raised from 35 to 40 mph. Two people were killed and another two were severely injured in the 17 months before the speed limit was raised. In the subsequent 17 months, two more died and another three suffered severe injuries.

"Raising the posted speed limit on a street after injuries and fatalities occur makes no sense," exclaimed John Bisnar. "In a pedestrian-heavy city like Santa Ana, speed limits should be lowered and careless drivers who injure and kill people should be more severely punished."

Santa Ana's traffic engineers claim the rules for setting speed limits are based on sound principles of human behavior. They argue that setting the limits at or near the speed used by 85% of motorists on a particular road makes sense, since most motorists tend to drive safely on a given street.

3843 Bristol Ave. Suite 259

Santa Ana, California 92704
(714) 352-3169

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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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