Anyone outside California who's witnessed Hollywood car chase scenes in such high-octane outings from Bullitt to the myriad of flicks in the Fast and Furious franchise might be deluding themselves into thinking that's how people normally drive in the Golden State. Naturally, the reality is far less dramatic than what you catch on film, but that doesn't stop automobile safety pundits from telling the public that California drivers are horrible on the road.

Numbers issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation place California motorists near the middle of the pack when it comes to annual fatalities. Figures trotted out by insurance companies like Allstate and insurance comparison platforms from BankRate to QuoteWizard, are more contradictory, but none of them paints a particularly rosy picture. While California lawmakers contend with road issues from green energy and emissions standards to autonomous vehicles and even turning a few freeway lanes into versions of the Autobahn, none of these initiatives seem to address the reason why their citizens aren't adept at navigating the asphalt once they're behind the wheel.

Where California Ranks In Automobile Deaths

Aerial view of Los Angeles freeways
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Figures released in February by the U.S. Department of Transportation revealed traffic fatalities across the nation jumped by 12 percent in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same time frame from the previous year. Among those tragic stats, California reported a spike of 17.2 percent, with 3.246 motorists and passengers killed in 2021 (Statistica had since updated those deaths to 3,723).

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Those numbers didn't rank anywhere near the worst results tabulated by the feds. Twelve states recorded steeper rates, with Idaho being the highest at 36.4 percent. But, what's alarming is that these fatalities took place within the first two years of the pandemic, when more people preferred to stay home than hit the road.

Golden State Car Accident Tally Near The Top

Police investigate tailgating accident
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Meanwhile, Quote Wizard's 2021 study of states depended on an examination of two million insurance quotes using accidents, speeding tickets, cases of driving under the influence (DUI), and citations. After that analysis, the company cited California as having the fourth-worst drivers in the U.S., placing four cities (Riverside, Bakersfield, Fresno, and Sacramento) in the national top 10 municipal rankings. In particular, the research pegged Riverside drivers as particularly notorious for speeding and other infractions, while Bakersfield ranked third in the nation for motorists driving under the influence (DUI).

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"California drivers had the fourth-highest number of accidents and citations, the fifth-highest number of DUIs and the 37th-highest number of speeding tickets," added the report. "Our guess is that they just can’t speed because of the traffic." If there was any consolation, at least they weren't the worst, trailing Iowa, North Dakota, and Virginia. And in contrast to a 2019 Allstate national assessment, which had three cities in its worst-city top 10 list (Glendale, Los Angeles, and Oakland), California fared better, but just barely.

So-Cal Is No-No-Cal In Vehicle Safety

Car with wrecked front end
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But financial comparison site BankRate delivered a particularly brutal profile of California in its 2021 report, declaring it to be the worst state to own and operate a vehicle. Given the sunny skies that grace the Golden State, the platform ruled out poor weather conditions as a debilitating factor. And researchers had favorable things to say about regulations pertaining to road safety.

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But BankRate added that California drivers rated at seventh-worst in the U.S. when it came to the quality of driving skills, citing high accidents and infractions as a major contributor. It also didn't help that gas prices and vehicular repair bills were higher than anywhere else in the U.S. while insurance rates were almost as bad. Then came the real kicker when the report added: "California clocks the most DUI arrests of any state per year, at 120,262 in 2019, the last year for which data was available."

Drinking And Driving Don't Mix

Los Angeles traffic goes through underpass
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Statistica noted that alcohol contributed significantly to California driving accidents and deaths, a factor also affecting the rest of the country. "In the United States, a person’s lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident is around 1 in 107," read the company's report. "One of the biggest causes of motor-vehicle deaths is driving while under the influence of alcohol. This can be especially dangerous among younger people." A 2018 fact sheet issued by the Center for Disease Control revealed that between 2009-2018, crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in California killed 9,288 people, the second-highest set of fatalities in the country, next to Texas, with 13,592.

While most pundits agree that fatal instances of drinking and driving have decreased significantly over the years, it's little comfort to families who lose a loved one in an otherwise very preventable accident. And to mitigate the level of tragedies, the federal government is examining several possible solutions from more stringent legislation and enforcement to technological features preventing an intoxicated driver from taking the wheel. But underscoring all the statistics is the need that attitudes towards drinking and driving still need to change.