U.S. Roads Are Dangerous Places For Multiple Reasons: But What Are The Key Dangerous Driving Habits?
In the U.S. in 2023, 2.44 million people were injured, and 40,901 people died due to motor vehicle accidents. 4,061 of those fatalities occurred in California.
In this study, we’ll look at the key dangerous driving habits that lead to so many Californian deaths, who’s exhibiting those habits the most, California’s most dangerous counties, and what we can do to improve safety on U.S. roads.
The Main Dangerous Driving Habits In California
Study data tells us that, nationally, the main factor in motor vehicle accidents is drunk driving, which claimed 12,249 lives, or 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities in 2023.
The second biggest factor is speeding, with 11,775 (29%) people dying during the same year due to high-speed crashes. But how does California, the country’s most populated state with 39.4 million people, compare?
Of the 4,061 motor vehicle fatalities in California, 1,355 were due to drunk driving – that’s 33.4% of all motor vehicle fatalities in the state. There were also 1,303 motor vehicle fatalities due to speeding, a 32.1% share, with distracted driving leading to 158 fatalities (3.9%).
So, with two-thirds of all California road fatalities in the state due to either alcohol or speeding, state trends fall in line with national statistics. For Californians, by far the most dangerous driving habits are drunk driving and speeding.
The Most Dangerous Driving Age Ranges in California
Drivers aged between 45 and 64 are involved in the highest number of traffic fatalities in California, which reflects the fact that they’re typically on the road the most. The 45-64 age group predominantly comprises drivers with full-time jobs, family responsibilities, and long commutes, all of which guarantee extensive stints behind the wheel.
Drivers aged 25 to 34 were involved in the second-highest number of traffic fatalities in California. This group is not only frequently on the road, but also the most likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such as drunk driving, speeding, and distracted driving.
Drivers aged 35 to 44 rank third. This age group is highly active on the road, yet is involved in fewer fatalities than the 25 to 34 group due to more cautious and more experienced driving.
Adults 65 and older have a similar fatality count to the 35 to 44 group, although this is due to their physical vulnerability to crash injuries as opposed to reckless driving.
Drivers aged 21 to 24, despite being statistically among the riskiest drivers, represent a comparatively low total fatality count due to fewer overall road miles. This highlights the fact that a broad combination of factors – time spent at the wheel, driving behavior, and physical vulnerability – determines fatal crash outcomes across age groups.
Men: By Far the Most Dangerous Driving Gender in California
Men far outnumber women when it comes to motor vehicle fatalities in California. They were involved in 3,037 motor vehicle fatalities in 2023 – 75% of incidents. On the other hand, women were involved in 1,013, just 25%.
Statistics regularly show that men are involved in more fatal traffic accidents than women, a trend attributed to more aggressive male behavior and more time spent on the road.
Men generally clock more annual road miles, which increases their overall exposure to all road risks. And study data confirms that male drivers (particularly younger men) are more likely to engage in aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding, risky driving, not using their seatbelt, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
These tendencies inevitably lead to more severe collisions and, consequently, more fatalities.
California’s Most Dangerous Driving Months
Data from 2023 confirms that October features the most motor vehicle fatalities (393) in California, followed by December (367), May (355), January (353), and August (348).
Fall and winter are consistently the most dangerous times of year for California drivers, for both behavioral and environmental reasons. As daylight hours decrease, drivers spend more time on the road after dark: as visibility drops, crash severity increases.
Holiday periods that unfold from October through December (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) mean a surge in long-distance travel, increased alcohol consumption, and more fatigued driving. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study data confirms that around 40% of fatal crashes over holiday weekends involve alcohol.
California’s winter weather, while generally milder than in other states, still makes for precarious driving. Initial seasonal rains make roads slick from oil buildup, increasing the risk of hydroplaning and high-speed collisions.
Add stress, congestion, and riskier driving behaviors to slippery and dangerous driving weather, and fall and winter represent the perfect storm for deadly crashes.
Unsurprisingly, poor visibility means drivers were more often involved in motor vehicle fatalities during the night (2,498) than in the daytime (1,489). And Daylight Saving Time is a perhaps surprisingly important factor.
While it might seem like a harmless clock adjustment, it can have serious road consequences: that lost hour of sleep and disruption to the body’s internal clock can trigger fatigue, slower reaction times, and reduced focus behind the wheel.
Studies have shown a spike in traffic accidents, particularly on the Monday after the time change, as drowsy drivers hit the road without being fully alert.
California Counties: Which Are the Deadliest for Motorists?
Of the 10 Californian counties with the highest number of motor vehicle fatalities, Los Angeles (which suffered more than twice as many fatalities as the second-placed county), San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, and Orange are quite similar.
All feature a dangerous mix of high population density, congested roadways, and millions of drivers that must navigate long daily commutes, often on high-speed freeways and poorly lit rural highways.
In counties like Kern and Fresno, agriculture and freight-heavy traffic contribute to crash risks, especially when large trucks are involved.
Meanwhile, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Clara all feature heavy traffic flow combined with urban sprawl and insufficient infrastructure.
Together, these counties feature California’s busiest and deadliest roadways, where a combination of high speed, distracted drivers, and an overwhelming number of vehicles on the road collectively lead to multiple yearly fatalities.
The Deadliest Vehicle Brands on California’s Roads
Of the 5,621 vehicles involved in fatalities in California during 2023, passenger cars were most frequently involved, with 2,264 (40.3%).
Light trucks featured in 2,116 (37.6%) fatalities, with motorcycles (598 – 10.6%), large trucks (371 – 6.6%), and ‘unknown’ vehicles (258 – 4.6%) also significant contributors to the fatalities list. 14 buses were also involved (0.2% of fatalities).
A comparison of the top ten brands and models involved in alcohol-related and speeding-related fatalities highlights a striking overlap.
The Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, and Chevrolet Silverado all appear on both lists and are among the most popular and widely driven in California.
This emphasises the fact that their involvement in fatal crashes is largely due to a high presence on the roads, and that driver behavior, not car brand or model, is the primary risk factor.
Similarly, drivers of some popular vehicles may drive under a false sense of security, assuming that safety ratings and driver assistance mean they can take liberties. This is a dangerous misconception that adds to the fatality numbers, as is the idea that a fast car is to blame for a crash, not its driver.
This reinforces the need for targeted public awareness campaigns focused on responsible driving, not on high-performance vehicles.
Insurance Risk: What Crash Data Reveals About Car Ownership
As well as helping us understand our most dangerous roads, fatal crash data is crucial to insurance companies. By looking at which vehicle types, drivers, and geographic areas consistently show high fatality rates, insurance companies can accurately understand crash likelihood variables.
For example, younger drivers of niche high-performance or modified vehicles can expect high premiums in line with their crash risk, just as rural drivers facing higher speed limits and delayed emergency response times can expect to pay more than average. Simply put: what happens on the road becomes data that directly shapes the complexion of your insurance bill.
How California Compares to Other Big States
After California, Texas (31.2 million), Florida (23.3 million), New York (19.8 million), and Pennsylvania (13 million) are the most populated states in the country.
There’s a significant variance across all five states when it comes to traffic fatality patterns. Texas has a slightly higher fatality total (4,291) than California’s 4,061, and also reports substantially more alcohol-impaired (1,699 vs. 1,355) and distracted driving fatalities (404 vs. 158). The Lone Star State also features slightly more deaths due to speeding (1,484 vs. 1,303).
Florida figures (3,396 traffic fatalities) match its slightly smaller population, although it does feature a comparatively high number (277) of distracted driving deaths.
However, Pennsylvania and New York fare significantly better and feature considerably lower fatality numbers – 1,211 and 1,114, respectively. These two states also exhibit the lowest numbers across all listed contributing factors: New York has the fewest alcohol-impaired (325) and distracted driving fatalities (113), while Pennsylvania has the fewest speeding-related deaths (321).
This data tells us that big states like Texas and California struggle with substantial dangerous driving habits and consequently suffer higher fatality counts.
And conversely, states like New York and Pennsylvania have imposed much more effective measures and created very different driving environments – resulting in fewer fatalities.
How California Drivers Feel
A UC Berkeley study shows which issues concern California drivers the most. 76% of surveyed drivers feel that speeding and aggressive driving is a huge problem on Golden State roads, with distracted driving (74.2%) and drunk driving (68.6%) also big worries.
These concerns don’t quite match the statistical reality, with speeding and drunk driving by far the two leading causes of motor vehicle fatalities in the state, yet with distracted driving (3.9% of California road fatalities) coming in much lower, 4.1% below the national average (8%).
That said, the study data does underscore one key factor: Californians understand that driver behavior is the fundamental cause of traffic fatalities in their own state and beyond.
The decision to look at a phone while driving, put the pedal to the metal at the wrong time, or get behind the wheel while inebriated, are all choices drivers make. Driving represents a huge responsibility, and the roads we share demand our full attention. One slip-up can be fatal.
And since California does have strict driving regulations in place around speeding, inebriation, and distracted driving, this suggests a failure of enforcement for bad road behavior. Some critics argue that while the state regulations are more than adequate, the consequences are not sufficiently harsh.
Summary
So many of the 40,901 deaths and 2.44 million injuries that occurred on U.S. roads in 2023 could have been avoided. And California broadly mirrors national road fatality trends, with roughly two-thirds of all road deaths down to drunk driving and speeding.
Distracted driving – currently at 8% of all road fatalities across the U.S. and 3.9% in California – is projected to become a bigger problem over the coming years. In all three cases, the driver is at fault. Better decision-making and far less risky behavior are both crucial to getting the fatality numbers down.
And that’s largely down to men, particularly those in the 25-34 and 45-64 age brackets: their bad habits cause a disproportionate amount of havoc and tragedy on California’s roads. Seasonal and temporal factors also play a role, with fall and winter months particularly dangerous, and with nighttime driving presenting added danger.
More deterrent is clearly needed – and that means better state enforcement of driving laws and regulations in areas that desperately need it.
Ultimately, bad driving habits lead to predictable consequences, irrespective of the vehicle being driven. That’s just as true in California as it is in every other state.
At Omega Law, we’re road accident and injury experts. Get in touch today – and let our family take care of your family.
