Orange County DUI Car Accident Facts & Statistics

Orange County DUI Car Accident Facts & Statistics

Orange County DUI Car Accident Facts & Statistics


Auto accidents can happen at any time and to just about any commuter, and due to the surge in usage of apps like Uber & Lyft DUI incidents seem to be reducing. However, serious injuries and deaths are inevitable when there is an auto accident involving a person who is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Recently ABC reported that on Sunday, April 1, 2023, in the Las Flores neighborhood of Orange County, a tragic incident occurred when a suspected DUI driver struck three pedestrians, resulting in the unfortunate death of a child and injuries to two adults, as reported by authorities. The incident unfolded around 4:15 p.m. when the driver veered onto the sidewalk, striking the victims as they were walking in the vicinity of Antonio Parkway and Oaktree Lane, located south of Mission Viejo, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Unfortunately, incidents like this are not uncommon in Southern California. In this article we’ve compiled data, information and statistics on DUIs and related car accidents in Orange County from numerous sources in order to help educate the public about when, where & how impaired driving impacts residents and drivers.

Accidents Involving Drunk Drivers in Orange County

From 2017 to 2020, accidents and motor vehicle crashes involving drunk drivers in Orange County has gone down significantly.

  • 2020: 1,282
  • 2019: 1,764
  • 2018: 1,856
  • 2017: 1,955

Data provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety. You can use this tool and see specific data in counties throughout California per calendar year.

California Office of Traffic Safety rankings

Does Uber, Lyft & Ridesharing Reduce DUI Arrests and Accidents?

In May of 2018, Mercury News reported that major cities across California were reporting dramatic decreases in DUI arrests:
“…arrests had declined by 32 percent in San Diego, 28 percent in San Jose, 26 percent in Sacramento and 14 percent in both Los Angeles and the San Francisco-Oakland area in the two years after ride sharing began in each of the areas.”

However, a study published in February 2018 by Dr. Sara F. Jacoby for the American Journal of Epidemiology found that while there are some instances of a decrease in auto accidents when a ride sharing company entered a city, provable changes in all injury accidents:

“For example, in Portland, Uber’s resumption was associated with a 61.8% reduction (95% confidence interval: 38.7, 86.4) in the alcohol-involved crash rate (an absolute decrease of 3.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.7, 4.4) alcohol-involved crashes per week); however, there was no concomitant change in all injury crashes.”

Although adoption of the technology is still growing rapidly, and there is evidence that DUI arrests have declined due to usage, the NHTSA reports that roughly 29 people still die every day caused by drunk driving. Unfortunately, drivers in Southern California can take as many precautions as they want to ensure that they are safe drivers, but the chances of encountering a drunk driver will always be present. As a driver, it’s important to make note of essential factors to consider in the event that you are hit by a drunk driver.

DUI Checkpoints in Orange County in 2022

DUIBlock.com keeps a rolling count of when & where DUI checkpoints in Orange County occurred. We’ve isolated and complied the data from 2022 and are the results:

  • In 2022 there were a total of 63 DUI checkpoints in Orange County
  • The city of Orange had the most DUI checkpoints in 2022 at 10
  • Santa Ana and Huntington Beach had the second most DUI checkpoints in 2022 at 9
  • Anaheim had the third highest DUI checkpoints in 2022 @ 7
City Location Date / Time
Garden Grove Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 9pm To 3am – Fri Dec 30, 2022
Huntington Beach Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Under Influence Of Alcohol And/or Drugs – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 6pm To 2am – Thu Dec 29, 2022
Garden Grove S Euclid St and Stanford Ave – Area Center Park – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 9pm To 3am – Sat Dec 17, 2022
Fullerton E Chapman Ave and N Acacia Ave – Area West Of Orange Freeway – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 Fri Dec 16, 2022
Westminster Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 8pm To 3am – Fri Dec 16, 2022
Costa Mesa Harbor Blvd – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 8pm To 2am – Fri Dec 16, 2022
Santa Ana Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 6pm To 1am – Thu Dec 15, 2022
Seal Beach Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 8pm To 3am – Sat Dec 10, 2022
Orange N Tustin St and E Chestnut Ave – Area North Of E Katella Ave – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 8pm To 2:15am – Fri Dec 9, 2022
Santa Ana Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 6pm To 1am – Wed Nov 23, 2022
Aliso Viejo Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 9pm To 1am – Fri Nov 4, 2022
Anaheim Lincoln Ave and East St – Area 76 Gas Station – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 6pm To 12am – Fri Nov 4, 2022
Santa Ana Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 7pm To 2am – Fri Oct 28, 2022
Orange Chapman Ave and The City Dr S – Area West Of I-5 – Attorney Help – 800 662 8337 8pm To 2:15am – Fri Oct 14, 2022
Costa Mesa Undisclosed Location – City Limits – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 8pm To 2am – Fri Sep 23, 2022
Fullerton Harbor Blvd and W Orangethorpe Ave – Area North Of Ca-91/riverside Fwy – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 Fri Sep 16, 2022
Irvine Bake Pkwy and Muirlands Blvd – Area East Of I-405 – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 8pm To 2am – Fri Sep 16, 2022
Huntington Beach Undisclosed Location – City Limits 6pm To 2am – Fri Sep 9, 2022
Cypress Valley View St and Katella Ave – Area North Of I-405 Sat Sep 3, 2022
Garden Grove Dui Checkpoint Undisclosed Location – Area Within The City – Legal Help – 800 662 8337 9pm To 3am – Sat Sep 3, 2022
Costa Mesa Dui Checkpoint At An Undisclosed Location Within The City 8pm To 2am – Fri Sep 2, 2022
Westminster Goldenwest St and Maple St – Area North Of I-405 – Area Westminster High School 8:30pm To 3am – Fri Aug 26, 2022
Brea Undisclosed Location – City Limits 9pm To 3am – Fri Aug 26, 2022
Anaheim S Beach Blvd and W Ball Rd – Area South Of I-5 By Chevron 6pm – Fri Aug 26, 2022
Buena Park Beach Blvd and Crescent Ave Fri Aug 19, 2022
Fountain Valley Undisclosed Location – City Limits Fri Aug 19, 2022
Newport Beach Undisclosed Location – City Limits 7pm To 2am – Thu Aug 18, 2022
Newport Beach Enhanced Enforcement – Attorney Help – 800 662 8337 Aug 17 Through Sept 3 – Labor Day, 2022
Tustin Undisclosed Location 7pm To 3am – Fri Aug 12, 2022
Santa Ana Undisclosed Location – City Limits 7pm To 2am – Fri Jul 29, 2022
Santa Ana Undisclosed Location – City Limits Fri Jul 22, 2022
Anaheim Katella Ave – Area Stadium Fri Jul 15, 2022
Orange Katella Ave – Area West Of Ca-55 8:00 Pm And 2:15 Am – Fri Jul 15, 2022
Huntington Beach Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington St – Area Pasã©a Hotel 6pm To 2am – Fri Jul 15, 2022
Westminster Goldenwest St and Main St – Area North Of I-405 – Area Westminster High School 8pm To 9am – Sat Jul 9, 2022
Buena Park Beach Blvd – Area North Of Orangethorpe Ave By B P P D Fri Jul 8, 2022
Newport Beach Saturation Patrols – Enhanced Enforcement 4th Of July Weekend, 2022
Anaheim La Palma Ave and N Red Gum St – Area West Of N Armando St 6pm – Fri Jul 1, 2022
Cypress Undisclosed Location – City Limits 8pm To 3am – Sat Jun 25, 2022
Buena Park La Palma Ave – Area Buena Park Downtown Fri Jun 17, 2022
Orange N Tustin St and E Taft Ave – Area North Of E Katella Ave 8pm To 2:15am – Fri Jun 17, 2022
Huntington Beach Beach Blvd – Area Talbert Ave 6pm To 2am – Fri May 3, 2022
Santa Ana W 1st St and N Flower St – Area West Of I-5 By Hs/sahs Tennis Courts 7pm To 2am – Thu May 26, 2022
Orange The City Drive South – Area Orange City Fire Dept. Station #6 South Of I-5 8pm To 2:15 – Fri May 20, 2022
Tustin Red Hill Ave – Area I-5 Freeway Fri May 13, 2022
Irvine Sand Canyon Ave – Area North Of I-5 Near Trabuco Rd 8pm To 2am – Sat Apr 23, 2022
Orange W Chapman Ave and Lewis St Area West Of I-5 Fri Apr 15, 2022
Orange E Chapman Ave and S James St – Area East Of Costa Mesa Freeway 8pm To 1:15 – Fri Apr 15, 2022
Santa Ana Undisclosed Location – City Limits 7pm To 2am – Fri Apr-1, 2022
Huntington Beach Undisclosed Location – City Limits 6pm To 2am – Sat Mar 26, 2022
Orange E Katella Ave – Area West Of Costa Mesa Freeway 8pm To 1: 15 – Fri Mar 25, 2022
Cypress Undisclosed Location – City Limits 8pm To 3am – Sat Mar 19, 2022
Costa Mesa Undisclosed Location – City Limits 8pm To 2am – Fri Mar 18, 2022
Irvine Culver Dr and Barranca Pkwy – Area North Of I-405 8pm To 2am – Fri Mar 18, 2022
Anaheim E Lincoln Ave and S Anaheim Blvd – Area East Of I-5 6pm – Thu Mar 17, 2022
Huntington Beach Main St and Utica Ave – Area Huntington Beach High School Fri Feb 25, 2022
Orange The City Dr S and Dawn Way – Area Uci Medical Center By I-5 Fri Feb 18, 2022
Santa Ana Warner Ave – Area S Raitt St Fri Feb 18, 2022
Tustin Newport Ave – Area Between El Camino Real and Walnut Ave By I-5 8pm To 3am – Fri Feb 18, 2022
Anaheim N Magnolia Ave and W Crescent Ave – Area South Of The I-5 6pm – Fri Feb 18, 2022
Orange Katella Ave and N. Manzanita St – Area East Of Orange Freeway 1 Block West Of Home Depot 9pm To 2:15am – Fri Jan 14, 2022
Santa Ana W 1st St and S Center St – Area West Of I-5 7pm To 2am – Fri Jan 14, 2022
Huntington Beach Undisclosed Location – Area In City Limits 6pm To 3am- Wed Jan 5, 2022

Important Steps to Take After Being Hit By A Drunk Driver

  • Call 9-1-1. By contacting the local police station dispatch, you will ensure that the intoxicated driver is pursued and if possible, held accountable for the reckless behavior. Dispatch will also send out emergency personal such as fire and rescue and emergency medical services. Further law enforcement on the scene will help to ensure that your accident is properly documented.
  • Cooperate as much as possible with the responding officer. The corresponding officer should take a report of your versions of events. You may be able to ask the officer if you can read over the report to ensure that the report reflects your version of events as closely as possible. If possible you will want to retain a copy of this and if not readily available, find out when and where you can get a copy.
  • Collect as much evidence and information as you can. This can mean collecting the license plate and contact information of any other involved parties. It would also be a good idea to collect the contact information of any witnesses who may be able to corroborate with your version of events. If possible, attempt to take pictures of the scene and the vehicles involved. Pictures could include the damages, the road conditions and anything else that may have contributed to the incident.
  • Seek medical aid as soon as possible. Seeking medical aid can help prevent further ailments. It is also one of the most crucial parts of your case, should you choose to file a personal injury lawsuit against the intoxicated driver. While emergency medical services on scene will provide some level of care and even transport you to a hospital, it is important follow up and keep a running document trail of injuries and treatments.
  • Speak to a qualified personal injury attorney as soon as possible. A qualified Orange County personal injury lawyer will help guide you through your available options as well as help to ensure that your rights are being upheld. Cases involving drunk drivers can be complex. Aside from the possibility of the Orange County district attorney filing criminal charges, pursuing a civil court solution may be the only recourse you have. Make sure to find a lawyer that has significant experience with car accidents lawsuits.

EDITORIAL NOTE: After talking to numerous criminal defense attorneys in Orange County, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire we can also anecdotally report on consensus that DUI caseloads have been shrinking year over year for the last 3-5 years. Some attorney attribute Uber & Lyft to this decline. However, local DUI attorneys report that they are seeing an increase in marijuana related arrests due to a general misunderstanding from the public of current laws on possession & usage in public areas, and due to a lack of consistent & reliable marijuana DUI testing methodologies.

OrangeCountyLawyers.com
OrangeCountyLawyers.com

OrangeCountyLawyers.com is a highly localized attorney directory that includes comprehensive information about lawyers that we have verified are local to Orange County based on their profile with the California Bar.

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