El Monte’s Car Accident Rate Increased by Illegal Street Racers
El Monte car accident attorneys have noted illegal street racing on city roads. Situated 12 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles, the City of El Monte lies in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley. An older city, El Monte has had to deal with a number of traffic problems. Among the most alarming is the dangerous trend of street racing.
In 2007, a man lost his wife and two children in a violent car crash when their car was broadsided at Elliott and Parkway Drive by illegal car racers. The impact was so devastating that the victim’s car was rammed about 50 feet before it slammed into a pickup truck and burst into flames with its three passengers trapped inside.
This is an enormous tragedy symptomatic of illegal street racing. Increased traffic enforcement and other police “sting operations” should be mandated to catch both the racers and anyone else who participates in this dangerous activity.
Street racing is nothing new to residents along Parkway Drive. There have been five major car collisions along this street. To slow down speeders and discourage illegal speed racers, El Monte recently installed 35 speed bumps along Parkway Drive near Mountain View High School. The speed bumps make it difficult to drive faster than 25 mph without damaging the driver’s car.
Illegal street racing car accidents are just one of the problems faced by El Monte. As in many cities, red-light runners pose a lethal hazard to law-abiding drivers. And while most cities have adopted red-light camera enforcement efforts to stem the rise of red light running car accidents, El Monte recently ended its five-year old photo-ticketing program. Cameras had been installed at East Garvey and Lee St., Peck Rd and Ramona St. and Santa Anita Ave. and Lower Azusa Rd. But according to the City Manager, the cameras failed to reduce the number of intersection accidents, so they were removed.
El Monte’s overall car accident statistics provide a clearer snapshot of the city’s traffic tragedies. A total of 13 fatal El Monte car accidents occurred in the city between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2006, the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) reported nine car accident deaths in the city and 527 traffic accident-related injuries. Motorcycle accidents killed two and injured 21. DUI collisions took their toll, accounting for five fatalities and 46 personal injuries. One pedestrian was killed and 44 were injured in city traffic collisions.
To reduce the number of traffic accidents in the city, El Monte has opted to step up its traffic enforcement efforts. The city’s Traffic Safety Bureau places special emphasis on unlicensed drivers and is committed to reducing hit-and-run traffic accidents. In addition, the Bureau routinely conducts DUI and safety checkpoints within the city to encourage drivers not to drink and drive.
