northern california dangerous road | Northern California Personal Injury Blog

Five Hazardous Roads in the Bay Area

By Kelly Balamuth on August 23, 2012

This is the second installment in a 2-part blog series about hazardous Northern California roads. Please read our first blog for information on dangerous highways.

Being involved in an auto accident can be a devastating experience for any driver, and while driver negligence is a common factor in many Northern California traffic crashes, other elements may contribute to a dangerous collision. A hazardous roadway is any roadway with a condition that may endanger the safety of a motorist, such as a poor lighting, substandard sections of pavement (such as potholes), or a poorly designed road.

With the millions of Bay Area residents on the road daily, it is imperative that the nation’s roadways are properly maintained and that state and city governments provide safe streets and highways for people to travel on. If roadways are not safe, designed well, or are ill-maintained, an innocent motorist may pay the price.

With this in mind, SFGate.com assembled the following list of the top five dangerous roadways in Northern California for drivers to exercise caution on:

1. Tunitas Creek Road/Lobitas Creek Cut-Off, San Mateo County: This road is very narrow and twisty, and its remoteness may lead some drivers to travel much too fast, as they may think no one else will be sharing the road.
2. Shoreline Highway, Marin County: When the Bay Area fog rolls in and buries the highway, visibility can be reduced by up to 20 feet, which can lead to a serious collision.
3. Page Mill Road/Alpine Road, Santa Clara County: From Palo Alto to Skyline, Page Mill Road has a number of potentially hazardous twists and turns. When this road turns into Alpine Road, the drive can be even more treacherous as the center divider disappears.
4. Grizzly Creek Boulevard, Alameda County: As this is an excellent drive for scenic San Francisco and bay views, driver inattention is common and motorists may be too busy enjoying the sights to focus on the road.
5. Mount Hamilton Road, Santa Clara County: Over the course of this 19-mile road, there are a number of blind, hairpin turns, which can lead to a crash if a driver becomes impatient or too aggressive.

At Balamuth Law, our Orinda auto accident attorneys understand that the causes of Bay Area traffic accidents are unique, but a person’s need for compensation to recover and heal is not. Our experienced legal team is dedicated to holding any at-fault parties responsible for your collision legally accountable, and we will work tirelessly to ensure you receive the compensation you need to recover from any of your losses. To see how we can assist you, please call (888) 254-1234.

Northern CA Driver Safety: Five Dangerous Area Highways

By Kelly Balamuth on August 21, 2012

This is part one of a two-part blog series on dangerous roads in Northern California. Please read the second installment on dangerous roads.

Auto accidents can have a number of causes, and driver negligence is frequently to blame for Northern California traffic collisions. However, certain elements that contribute to a crash may be out the control of the driver, and a highway or roadway that is poorly designed or ill-maintained can put the safety of an unsuspecting motorist in jeopardy. Narrow, curvy roads with blind turns create hazards for all vehicles that share the road, including commercial trucks, bicyclists, motorcycles, and cars.

A report by SFGate.com lists the following five potentially dangerous highways in Northern California on which drivers should use extra caution:

1. Kaiser Pass Road, Fresno County: Drivers using this road, which is 14 miles from Huntington Lake to Mono Hot Springs and another five to Edison or Florence Lakes, face narrow blind curves with drop-offs to below canyons.
2. Mineral King Road, Tulare County: Mineral King Road, which contains 24 miles of road that takes you to Mineral King and Sequoia National Park, is a narrow road with dozens of blind curves.
3. Highway 299, Shasta County: The 10-mile stretch from west of Whiskeytown Lake to Buckhorn Summit may cause a speeding motorist to go off the side of the road or into a ditch.
4. Highway 49, Merced County: The 15 miles from Coulterville south to Bear Valley has impatient motorists, especially motorcyclists, cutting turns on the wrong side of the road. This may result in a deadly head-on collision.
5. Highway 70, Yuba County: The 27 miles from Oroville to Marysville produces a mix of fast and slow traffic, and the 12-mile stretch between Cox Lane and Silva Avenue can be particularly treacherous.

The Walnut Creek traffic accident lawyers of Balamuth Law urge all California motorists to drive safely, alertly, and distraction-free to help prevent a dangerous collision. However, not all accidents are preventable, and a crash can have devastating results for anyone involved. If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by another person’s negligence, our experienced legal team can help you recover from your losses. For a free consultation, please call (888) 254-1234.