Comprehensive Breakdown of Car Accident Statistics Helps City Address Problem Areas
An affluent bedroom community, Los Altos has grown steadily in the last decade, and with that has come a rise in motor vehicle accidents. The Los Altos Traffic Commission recently completed a four-year analysis of 1,468 traffic collisions to pinpoint troublesome areas in the city. The highest incidence of traffic, injury and bicycle/pedestrian collisions occurred at the intersections of El Camino Real (State Highway 92) and Foothill Expressway (a County arterial roadway). Many of these accidents can be linked to the high traffic volume and vehicular speeds found on these two roadways.
In 2006, the Los Altos Police Department issued 1,759 speeding citations in the city. Drivers must learn to slow down, especially in areas frequented by pedestrians and bicyclists.
The breakdown of traffic accidents on roads maintained by the city in a recent 4 year/4 month period is as follows:
San Antonio Road/Edith Avenue/Main Street with 49 accidents, this intersection had more than double the accidents of any other Los Altos intersection.
The next highest was at Los Altos High School with 20 accidents.
Continuing in descending order:
Covington Road / Miramonte Avenue — 17 accidents
First Street / Main Street — 17 accidents Downtown triangle
Fremont Avenue / Truman Avenue — 16 accidents
State Street / Second Street — 14 accidents Downtown triangle
El Monte Avenue / University Avenue — 13 accidents
Main Street / Second Street — 12 accidents Downtown triangle
First Street / Shasta Street — 12 accidents Downtown triangle
Fremont Avenue / Fallen Leaf Lane — 11 accidents
First Street / State Street — 11 accidents Downtown triangle
First Street / Whitney Street — 11 accidents Downtown triangle
First Street / North Parking Plaza — 10 accidents Downtown triangle
Monte Avenue / Cuesta Avenue — 10 accidents
Fremont Avenue / Grant Road — 10 accidents
There were 66 accidents involving bicycles and 26 involving pedestrians. Most bicycle accidents occurred along El Camino Real and Foothill Expressway. On Los Altos-maintained roadways, Fremont Avenue, San Antonio Road, Los Altos Avenue and Miramonte Avenue had the highest number of bicycle/pedestrian accidents. Two-thirds of bicycle accidents involved motor vehicles, which in many cases were caused by the vehicle not yielding right-of-way to the bicyclist. All the reported pedestrian accidents involved a motor vehicle, which, more than half the time, occurred while pedestrians were in a crosswalk. Six bicycle accidents involved school-aged children during the school commute. None of these student accidents occurred where school crossing guards were present.
This comprehensive breakdown of traffic accident statistics can help a city like Los Altos properly address its problem areas.