San Francisco Leads Large California Cities in Motorcycle Accidents
In news that may come as no surprise to motorcycle riders in the Bay Area, official safety statistics compiled by the State of California show that San Francisco has the highest rate of motorcycle crashes of any large city and county in the state. Learn more below about official traffic and crash data in San Francisco, and contact a seasoned San Francisco motorcycle accident lawyer if you’ve been injured in a crash in the Bay Area.
Data compare crash rates in similarly-sized cities
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) compiles roadway safety statistics that compare the relative safety of cities and counties throughout the state. The OTS divides the state’s cities into seven groups based on their average population. San Francisco falls into Group A, a list of 15 cities with a population of over 250,000.
The OTS calculates rankings of which city has the “worst” rate of certain types of accidents and roadway incidents by looking at data such as the population of the city, the number of vehicle miles traveled by that population, crash records, and the trend of crashes in that city. The list ranks cities based on statistics such as the number of accidents in which someone is injured or killed, the number of accidents where one driver had been drinking, the number of accidents involving pedestrians over age 65, and the number of accidents involving bicyclists.
San Francisco residents on foot or two wheels: watch out
San Francisco holds the dubious distinction of being ranked as the worst or second-worst in three separate categories: motorcycle accidents, accidents involving bicyclists, and accidents involving pedestrians over age 65. In 2016, OTS research showed that 566 motorcyclists were injured or killed in accidents in San Francisco. In addition, 590 bicyclists were injured or killed in accidents in the city, giving San Francisco the highest rate of both bicycle and motorcycle injury accidents in California. Also, 152 pedestrians over age 65 suffered injuries, some of which were fatal, in San Francisco accidents. This is the second-highest rate of injury accidents involving elderly pedestrians in California.
Beyond just the City of San Francisco, San Francisco County leads all other California counties for the most motorcycle accidents and the most pedestrian accidents in the OTS 2016 collision rankings.
If you’ve been hurt in a motorcycle crash or other vehicle accident in California, get the help you need by contacting the knowledgeable, aggressive, and effective Bay Area motorcycle accident lawyer William E. Weiss for a free consultation at 415-362-6765.