Walnut Creek, California is a city in Contra Costa County California with a population of only 69,122. Even though it’s located near major metropolitan areas like Oakland and San Francisco, Walnut Creek is relatively small. However, for a small city, there are still a lot of accidents that happen every day in the city.
According to the Transportation Injury Mapping System provided by UC Berkeley, there were 343 total collisions in 2016 alone and 3,993 total accidents in Contra Costa County. This indicates that Walnut Creek had over 8.5% of all accidents in Contra Costa County in 2016.
When we break down the data we find that these accidents resulted in:
- One fatality
- Five severe injuries
- One hundred and four visible injuries
- Two hundred and thirty-two complaints of pain after the accident
The Most Common Types of Collisions in Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek had an interesting spread of the type of crashes seen. The most common type of accident by far was Rear End accidents followed by Broadside and Sideswipe accidents. Below is the breakdown.
|
Type of Collision
|
Count
|
%
|
|---|---|---|
| A – Head-On | 9 | 2.62% |
| B – Sideswipe | 36 | 10.50% |
| C – Rear End | 142 | 41.40% |
| D – Broadside | 80 | 23.32% |
| E – Hit Object | 35 | 10.20% |
| F – Overturned | 3 | 0.87% |
| G – Vehicle/Pedestrian | 27 | 7.87% |
| H – Other | 5 | 1.46% |
| – – Not Stated | 6 | 1.75% |
Take note of the high percentage (7.87%) of vehicle and pedestrian accidents. This is where a car hit a pedestrian that was not in another vehicle. While many of these incidents are likely tied to distracted driving it’s clear that there is a pedestrian accident problem in Walnut Creek.
The Most Dangerous Times for Accidents
Can you guess the most dangerous day of week and time of the accidents that happen Walnut Creek?
The most dangerous time to be on the roads in Walnut Creek is Friday between 3PM and 6PM according to the TIMS data.
What are the causes of the most dangerous accidents in Walnut Creek?
Only 5.25% of the accidents in Walnut Creek involved driving under the influence including DUI’s. The clear majority winner in terms of what causes the most accidents was driving at unsafe speeds. Interestingly enough, Walnut Creek roads raised their speed limits in 2007.
|
Type of Violation
|
Number
|
%
|
|---|---|---|
| 01 – Driving or Bicycling Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drug | 18 | 5.25% |
| 02 – Impeding Traffic | 1 | 0.29% |
| 03 – Unsafe Speed | 114 | 33.24% |
| 04 – Following Too Closely | 6 | 1.75% |
| 05 – Wrong Side of Road | 9 | 2.62% |
| 06 – Improper Passing | 2 | 0.58% |
| 07 – Unsafe Lane Change | 27 | 7.87% |
| 08 – Improper Turning | 35 | 10.20% |
| 09 – Automobile Right of Way | 46 | 13.41% |
| 10 – Pedestrian Right of Way | 12 | 3.50% |
| 11 – Pedestrian Violation | 6 | 1.75% |
| 12 – Traffic Signals and Signs | 16 | 4.66% |
| 17 – Other Hazardous Violation | 5 | 1.46% |
| 18 – Other Than Driver (or Pedestrian) | 7 | 2.04% |
| 21 – Unsafe Starting or Backing | 13 | 3.79% |
| 22 – Other Improper Driving | 8 | 2.33% |
| 00 – Unknown | 17 | 4.96% |
| – – Not Stated | 1 | 0.29% |