As Corona car accident lawyers are fully aware, the major Inland Empire city of Corona has grown substantially due to the recent housing boom. And with that growth has come more traffic and regrettably more car accidents.
The statistics tell the story. Corona Police reported the following car collisions throughout the city. In 2005, there were 1,729 car accidents resulting in 555 injuries; in 2006, car collisions rose to 1,893 resulting in 543 injuries; in 2007, the number of car collisions dropped to 1,134, resulting in 294 injuries (this drop was probably due to fewer car trips in response to skyrocketing gas prices).
This alarming rise in Corona car accidents is symptomatic of many growing cities. Cities must find a way to address the problem through increased traffic enforcement efforts and other driver awareness programs.
Looking just at intersections, the Corona car accident statistics reveal a similar pattern. In 2005, there were 591 car collisions resulting in 189 injuries; In 2006, there were 782 car collisions resulting in 315 injuries; In 2007, there were 427 car collisions resulting in 163 injuries (again, high gas prices curtailed car trips). These statistics were augmented by those of the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), which revealed that in 2006, DUI collisions in Corona resulted in seven fatalities and 76 injuries. Three pedestrians were killed and 28 were injured in city traffic accidents. In addition, motorcycle accidents killed one and injured 41.
Fed up with the increasing numbers of car accidents and fatalities, Corona evaluated red-light camera technology as a means of changing motorists' behavior. About a third of the city's car accidents involved red-light violations. And half of the city's 18 traffic fatalities since 2005 involved car accidents at intersections. In 2006, Corona police issued more than 15,000 traffic tickets, 543 for red-light violations.
Drivers who run red lights adopt an "accidents only happen to the other guy" mentality, which is sadly often wrong. When you have 543 drivers cited for running red lights, you wonder how many other red-light runners never got caught.
In the last few years, cameras were proposed for a number of dangerous intersections in Corona. Among these were the crossroads at Sixth and Main, Rimpau and Magnolia, and Ontario and Lincoln. Residents also complained that Taber and State Street was a dangerous intersection. In fact, many local residents also voiced their concern that motorists often exceeded the posted 20 mph speed limit on State Street, creating a hazardous condition.
In 2009, Corona finally took action. Red-light camera were installed at the following intersections: North McKinley Street and Griffin Way, Cajalco Road and Grand Oaks, Ontario and California, and Magnolia and Rimpau. Near-term plans include about five more cameras at locations to be determined.
Dangerous Streets and Intersections Blamed For Corona Car Accidents