San Bernardino Road Safety Overview
With just under 225,000 residents, San Bernardino is California’s 18th most populous city. Traffic crash statistics from state and county governments indicate that the city experiences more crashes than expected, given its population.
These statistics are supported by insurance company data, which rates San Bernardino 164th out of 200 cities for safe driving. The city’s vehicle owners file accident claims about once every seven and a half years. Moreover, San Bernardino drivers have a 41.1% higher risk of being involved in a collision than the average American driver.
How Common Are Car Accidents in San Bernardino?
According to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) Summary, San Bernardino averages 1,313 annual traffic crashes that cause injury or death over the last five years.
This statistic includes the following averages:
- 42 fatal crashes
- 92 serious injury crashes
- 1,179 minor or possible injury crashes
On average, these crashes have the following outcomes:
- 46 fatalities per year
- 106 serious injuries per year
- 1,837 minor or possible injuries per year
These numbers suggest that you are more likely to be involved in car accidents in San Bernardino. Worse yet, when you crash, you are more likely to die than you would in other cities.
Primary Reasons for San Bernardino’s Road Safety Issues
The San Bernardino County Local Roadway Safety Plan reviewed traffic crash data from across the county. It identified the locations of crash hotspots and, more importantly, the factors that contributed to them. The following significant factors affect road safety across San Bernardino County:
Speeding
Speeding played a role in 27% of crashes in the mountainous portions of the county. In particular, high speeds on I-15 in the Cajon Pass contributed to its designation as the deadliest road in California.
However, even in the valley region, speeding increases the risk that the driver will lose control of their vehicle. It also shortens the time the driver has to react to hazards, including pedestrians, bicycles, and other vehicles. Finally, speeding increases the severity of the resulting accident, turning a potentially survivable collision into a fatal crash.
Highway Intersections Without Traffic Signals
Unsignalized intersections on major highways are dangerous. Drivers turning onto high-speed highways might not see approaching vehicles. As a result, they may get hit as they enter the highway.
Moreover, without a traffic signal to slow down or stop cars on the highway, drivers might become impatient waiting for a gap in traffic. They may turn into or across the path of a vehicle that is too close to stop.
The following highways face this issue, according to the county’s plan:
- Indian Trail
- North Shore Drive/CA-38
- Dale Evans Parkway
- Old Woman Springs Road/CA-247
- CA-18
- Arrow Boulevard
- Baseline Street
- Valley Boulevard
Unsignalized intersections on these highways pose a risk to motorists as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
Impaired Driving
Impaired drivers were responsible for 11% of overnight crashes that caused serious injury or death in the county. Speed contributed to these crashes, with 50% of impaired driving crashes occurring on roads with speed limits of 40 miles per hour or greater.
The following roads were overrepresented in impaired driving crashes:
- Parker Dam Road west of Bluewater
- Rock Springs Road between Glendale Ave. and the Mojave River
- Arrowhead Lake Road south of Whitehaven Street
- Ogden Street between Bronson Street and Vermont Street
Valley Boulevard also had clusters of impaired driving crashes at several intersections.
Driving Safely in San Bernardino
You cannot control what other drivers do. However, you can reduce your risk of a crash in San Bernardino by avoiding some of the most common contributing factors, including speeding, failing to yield at unsignalized intersections, and driving while intoxicated.