Simi Valley Tries to Bring Car Accident Rate in Line With Its Safe City Reputation

Most Simi Valley car accident attorneys are aware that Simi Valley in Ventura County, California frequently makes the FBI's list of safest metropolitan cities. In 2005, it had 938 car collisions and 573 of those resulted in no injuries--its lowest number in almost 20 years. Yet, like most busy cities in Southern California, Simi Valley does have its share of car accidents.

In August 2008, a woman was killed and four people were injured in a car crash at the intersection of Kuehner Drive and Katherine Road. One resident who lives off of Katherine Road noted that motorists drive too fast on Kuehner Drive and claimed it's a dangerous place to drive.

Excessive speed is a major contributor to car collisions and has resulted in many preventable tragedies.

Adding to the cities woes are the California car accident statistics compiled by the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In 2006, the CHP reported that nine people were killed car crashes in Simi Valley and 462 were injured. Alcohol-related accidents were responsible for four fatalities and 51 injuries. Twenty pedestrians were injured in auto accidents. And motorcycle accidents injured 13.

As is typical in most cities, motorists who run red lights contribute to a number of Simi Valley car crashes. Simi Valley Police statistics revealed that 60% of city traffic accidents were caused by red-light or right-of-way violations. To catch red-light runners, Simi Valley recently installed blue lights, often referred to as "tattle-tells," on traffic signals at five of its busiest intersections. When a light turns red, a blue light on the opposite side of the signal lights up. So instead of having to wend their way through a red-light intersection to catch the scofflaw, police can give chase far more safely.

In setting up its tattle tells, specific selected intersections that were most congested during peak traffic hours, times when drivers are most tempted to run a red light and when school is in session. A city traffic engineer noted that tattle tells have been installed at the following intersections:

Erringer Road and Los Angeles Avenue
1st Street and Los Angeles Avenue
1st and Royal Avenue
Sycamore Drive and Cochran Street
Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street

One motorcycle officer explained that it's safer to monitor the intersection with tattle tells because you don't have to blitz through an intersection, which is dangerous for officers who must race through the red light and avoid cross traffic moving through a green light.

Technology appropriately applied can help prevent car accidents. Signal monitoring systems like these should be considered in cities throughout California.