Jan 26, 2022
In 2015, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an executive directive launching the city’s Vision Zero program. The goal put forth with Vision Zero was to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2025. But if 2021 is any indication, Vision Zero’s objective may not be a reality for many more years.
Let’s look at the latest 2021 Los Angeles car accident statistics through data provided by the city’s Police Department. Additionally, we’ll look at statistics from two states which saw significant increases in car accident fatalities in 2021 and review how to file a civil claim if you’ve suffered an injury due to another driver’s negligence.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), 289 people were killed in traffic collisions through December 25 of 2021. That figure represents a 21% increase through the same period in 2020 and a 19% increase during the same period in 2019.
Moreover, 1,465 people were seriously injured in Los Angeles traffic accidents through December 25, 2021. That represents a staggering 30% increase over the same period in 2020 (and the LAPD defines a ‘severe injury’ as one requiring transport from an accident scene).
One contributing factor to the increase in traffic fatalities and injuries may be illegal street racing. The LAPD has confirmed that street racing has increased 27% throughout the city in the past year alone. Furthermore, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to more than 25,000 calls involving street racing activity in 2020. That represents a 16% year-over-year increase.
In an effort to curtail illegal street racing and ‘sideshows,’ California legislators recently passed Assembly Bill 3 (AB 3). Under the new legislation, California courts may suspend a street racing offender’s driver’s license.
“Unfortunately, illegal street racing is like speeding on steroids,” Doug Shupe, an Automobile Club of Southern California spokesperson, told Spectrum News in a recent interview.
Shupe was referring to a recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study that found even “modestly higher speeds” at the time of a traffic crash can dramatically increase the chances of severe injury and death.
“Speeding kills,” Shupe added.
Some additional 2021 Los Angeles traffic crash statistics include:
As a recent Los Angeles Times report noted, transportation advocates have long argued that Vision Zero is underfunded and given a low priority by both the mayor and City Hall.
“We’re nowhere near it [the Vision Zero goal of no traffic fatalities by 2025],” John Yi, executive director of Los Angeles Walks, told the Los Angeles Times. “This is a leadership failure at the city level.“
The Los Angeles Times also reported that residents of L.A.’s underserved communities are disproportionately killed in traffic crashes.
As of December 25, 2021, LAPD data indicated that the “greatest risk intersections” throughout the city included:
Furthermore, Colin Sweeney, a Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson, told the Los Angeles Times that 2021 traffic crash statistics point to “speeding and reckless driving, coupled with design trends that make cars deadlier than ever before, with heavier frames and the addition of distracting features.”
“We’ve seen these dramatic increases,” LAPD Chief Michael Moore stated at a police commission meeting last month. Moore specifically referenced the pedestrian accident death of Arian Rahbar, a 21-year-old USC student who was struck by a street racing vehicle near the school’s campus late last year.
The Los Angeles Times noted that Moore urged the public to “obey speed laws,” citing the rising number of motor vehicle collisions.
Los Angeles is not alone in experiencing an increase in traffic deaths during 2021. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently confirmed an 18% spike in traffic fatalities nationwide during the first six months of 2021.
The Seattle Times recently reported that Washington state saw a significant increase in motor vehicle-related fatalities during 2021. In fact, 2021 was statistically the deadliest year for Washington roads in the past 15 years.
2,951 total traffic crashes occurred throughout Washington state in 2021 (a 16% increase from 2020). Of those, 540 were fatal and 2,411 were considered serious. Additionally, 600 overall car accident fatalities were recorded in Washington through the end of 2021.
“We have talked 2020 to death, but it is the end of 2021 and this was way worse,” Staci Hoff, research director for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, told the Seattle Times. “The increases that we’re seeing in very serious crashes are not subsiding.”
Furthermore, 2021 was the deadliest year for Illinois motorists since 2005. More than 1,300 car accident deaths occurred in Illinois during 2021. But as the Illinois Department of Transportation noted in a recent publication, the exact number of deaths related to 2021 car accidents could actually increase if more people injured in crashes die while in the hospital.
If you’ve suffered an injury due to another driver’s negligence, you may be able to obtain financial compensation through a civil lawsuit. Civil claims can help injured victims recover damages for various losses, such as:
If you experienced a car accident injury, don’t wait to file a claim. Contact our expert attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
After a car accident injury, it may be in your best interest to speak with an experienced lawyer before making a statement to the insurance company. A Dordulian Law Group (DLG) car accident lawyer can review your case during a free and confidential consultation and provide you with legal guidance as well an estimate of what your claim may be worth.
DLG has helped injured victims like you recover more than $200,000,000 in settlements and verdicts while maintaining a 98% success record. Contact us today for a free consultation at 866-GO-SEE-SAM. We’re available to answer any question you may have and here to help protect your legal right to financial compensation after a car accident injury.
DLG’s No Win/No Fee Guarantee means you never pay a penny until we’ve successfully recovered a maximum financial damages award for your car accident injury claim.
Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
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