It's well-known for its positive arts, culture, education, parks, trails, and other amazing offerings.

Yet, with an estimated population of between 137,000 and 150,000 at any given time in an area of roughly 22 square miles and extremely busy thoroughfares, Fullerton has an understandably serious traffic problem. According to the city's 2019 Traffic Volume Report, many two-way streets deal with between 20,000 and 30,000 vehicles in 24 hours. Some traffic areas experience between 40,000 and 50,000 vehicles.

This level of traffic, especially with urban speed limits between 25 mph and 55 mph depending on conditions and location, creates the perfect environment for accidents involving drivers, bike riders, passengers, and pedestrians. Whether people enjoy the city at a slow pace or rush about, they're more likely in such a congested region to face construction and other road conditions and risk takers on busy streets and crosswalks. 

A single-vehicle accident can devastate a life. It can destroy a person's dreams for the future. For these reasons, a traffic study was performed that looked specifically at accident statistics to spread awareness. 

What did the Fullerton Car Accident 2023 Study reveal?

Typical and Pandemic Accident Levels

The California Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) revealed that Fullerton experienced much higher accident rates related to car collisions before the COVID-19 Pandemic, per data from 2017-2021. During the first three years of the reviewed time period, collision rates remained high at 885, 792, and 740 per year, respectively. 

With stay-at-home orders and disruptions across all areas of life, the number of collisions dropped dramatically to 454 in 2020. As everything re-opened in 2021, it jumped to 684. These numbers aren't surprising given Fullerton's incredibly high daily traffic and busy streets and intersections, including Harbor Boulevard, State College Boulevard, Beach Boulevard, Commonwealth Avenue, Edinger Avenue, and Nutwood Avenue. 

Over this period, Fullerton experienced a total of 42 fatalities. The highest number of deaths occurred between 2017-2019 (11, 10, and 8). Thankfully, the pandemic helped the count drop further (7 in 2020 and 6 in 2021). The city also had many collision-related pedestrian injury cases. In 2020, for example, 38 pedestrians dealt with related injuries. In 2021, the number increased to 50.

In many cases, the driver of a vehicle endangered others because of alcohol or drug abuse and driving under the influence of mind-altering substances. DUI before the pandemic caused 77, 65, and 87 accidents from 2017 to 2019, respectively. The number dropped to 59 in 2020. Yet, in 2021, the number bypassed 2019 with 88 accidents, including two related fatalities.

Fatality Comparisons: Orange County, California, and the Nation

When taking into account the entirety of Orange County, it's important to note that the county also contains many other high-traffic, busy locations, including Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Santa Ana. All numbers also include Fullerton accidents. 

Between 2017 and 2019, the county experienced 15,370, 13,968, and 12,394 collisions per year, respectively. The number dropped to 9,015 collisions in 2020 and then increased to 12,173 in 2021. The number of fatalities was high. From 2017-2019, the county experienced 212, 203, and 180 fatalities from collisions, respectively. The number increased to 193 in 2020. In 2021, it increased again to 196. 

The study also reviewed 2021 and 2022 California and national fatality data from the National Safety Council. In California, 4,161 people died from traffic collisions in 2021 and 3,724 in 2022. At the national level, those numbers contributed to a total estimated 46,980 deaths in 2021 and 46,270 in 2022. 

Common Causes of Accidents in Fullerton

As with most regions in California, the most common causes of accidents in Fullerton were congestion and risky behaviors. Beyond DUI scenarios, some bicycle and motorcycle riders and smaller vehicle drivers weave through start-stop traffic. There are high incidents of people speeding and ignoring traffic rules, such as refusing the right of way and ignoring a stop sign or red light.

Far too many drivers ignore California's cell phone and text-messaging laws and physically hold their cell phones in their hands. Even when that's not the case, drivers can become easily distracted when they talk to people on the phone or listen to news or broadcasts. Lastly, bike riders and pedestrians also don't always pay attention. While moving through traffic, a lot of people wear headphones that limit their hearing or stare down at their phone or tablet screens.

As evidenced by the Fullerton Accident study, it's important for everyone in the city, no matter their residency status, to use more caution when interacting with traffic on busy highways, roads, streets, intersections, alleys, and sidewalks. Parking lots are also important areas where drivers and others need to maintain high situational awareness to prevent life-altering accidents.