Poor Economy Leads to Drop in Accident Fatalities in Monterey County
The slowdown in the economy has had at least one happy after effect in Monterey County. The California Highway Patrol has confirmed that there were fewer numbers of fatal accidents on Salinas highways last year, as people cut down on driving to save on gasoline expenses. According to the California Highway Patrol, the agency’s Monterey office investigated a total of 21 fatal accidents in 2009. These crashes resulted in 26 fatalities. That was a drop of 22 percent in the number of accidents over the previous year. It was also a drop of 25 percent in fatalities compared to the figures of 2008. That year, the California Highway Patrol investigated a total of 27 accidents, which left 35 people dead. The King City area saw 4 fatal accidents that caused 7 fatalities in 2009, compared to 7 fatal accidents which caused 8 fatalities the previous year. According to the CHP in Monterey, the drop in accident fatalities has been due to increased enforcement activities and stronger awareness campaigns. However, even the California Highway Patrol has not been able to deny that 2009 saw fewer motorists driving, and hence fewer accidents.
The Monterey area also saw two high profile multiple fatality accidents in 2009. In April last year, a tour bus accident on highway 101 in Soledad killed 5 people, including the driver of the bus. The bus had been carrying a group of French tourists, when it overturned on a remote highway. In May 2009, an accident involving a Honda Accord on highway 101 killed 4 people in the Accord. Across the country, highway fatalities have dropped over the past few years. There is still no way of confirming for sure that this drop occurred because of the economic slowdown. However, the fact is that people tend to drive lesser during times of financial crisis. When jobs are in peril and the employment rates are high, people are more likely to save on fuel expenses, by cutting down on non-essential trial. As the year progresses, California auto accident lawyers will have a much clearer picture of the reasons for the dip in fatalities last year. The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of auto accidents . Please visit our website at trlglaw.com . If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us . The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.
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Poor Economy Leads to Drop in Accident Fatalities in Monterey County