Marin County is well-known for many things: the Muir Redwoods Forest, the Point Reyes National Seashore, its proximity to San Francisco, and its abundance of tech companies. Unfortunately, it has also become a hotspot for car accidents, particularly in the more densely-populated areas of the county.
From 2013 to 2021, there were 8,827 motor vehicle accidents in Marin County that required a response from emergency medical services (EMS) for a wide range of injuries. These collisions included bike accidents, car crashes, pedestrian accidents, and other forms of automobile accidents. Despite Marin County’s reputation as being a relatively safe place to live, the high rate of car accidents demonstrates that we all need to be more careful behind the wheel.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Marin County, the Kuvara Law Firm is here for you. We offer free initial consultations, and never charge a fee unless we recover money for you. Read on to learn more about car accidents in Marin County.
Where Do Most Accidents Happen in Marin County?
Marin County is unique in that it offers both scenic natural beauty and more urban cities and towns just across the Bay from San Francisco. Unsurprisingly, most motor vehicle accidents in Marin County happen in these busier, more populated areas.
This heat map shows exactly where most of these accidents happen. The red areas of the map have the highest number of crashes, followed by orange and then yellow. Areas in blue and green have lower numbers of collisions.
As you can see, the majority of motor vehicle accidents happen in bigger cities and towns, such as:
- San Rafael
- Sausalito
- Tiburon
- Corte Madera
- San Anselmo
- Santa Venetia
- Ross
- Fairfax
- Petaluma
- Mill Valley
The data shows that in this time period – March 2013 to April 2021 – the majority of accidents happened in these areas. The locations in Marin County where the highest number of crashes occurred include:
- San Rafael: 1,910 accidents
- Novato: 1,630 accidents
- Sausalito: 1,014 accidents
- Mill Valley: 830 accidents
- Larkspur: 334 accidents
- Corte Madera: 295 accidents
- San Anselmo: 252 accidents
- Fairfax: 251 accidents
- Tiburon: 245 accidents
- Stinson Beach: 169 accidents
- Kentfield: 149 accidents
- Nicasio: 134 accidents
Importantly, this heat map shows the prevalence of all types of motor vehicle collisions, including those pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles. When you dig into the numbers further, you can examine where specific types of accidents are most likely to occur.
For accidents that just involve cars, trucks, and SUVs, the “hot spots” remain fairly consistent. As this map shows, most collisions involving motor vehicles happen in more highly populated areas of Marin County. Of the 8,827 injury-causing accidents that occurred during this time period, 5,460 involved motorized vehicles.
There are some additional high traffic locations where car crashes occur more often such as the highly traveled roads around Mount Tamalpais State Park, Muir Woods, and along Shoreline Highway, heading to Point Reyes National Seashore. For anyone who visits these areas, the relatively high rate of car accidents probably isn’t surprising. After all, these roads tend to be frequented by tourists who are unfamiliar with the area and may be more prone to making mistakes while driving as a result.
Where Do Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents Happen Most Often in Marin County?
The same heat map can be used to show where two other types of motor vehicle accidents happen most frequently in Marin County: those involving bikes and pedestrians. While the map for bike accidents looks pretty similar to the one for car accidents, the data for pedestrian accidents is fairly different.
Between 2013 and 2021, there were 2,695 bicycle accidents that led to the need for emergency medical care. As with car accidents, most of these bike crashes happened in more urban areas, such as San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Sausalito. However, there were also a number of bike accidents that happened in more rural areas, near places that locals and tourists alike may go for a bike ride – like Inverness, Marshall, and Dillon Beach.
In this same time frame, there were 672 injury-causing pedestrian accidents in Marin County. The heat map for pedestrian accidents shows that the greatest concentration of pedestrian accidents occur in cities and towns like San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Sausalito, although there were a few accidents in more remote places, such as Bolinas and Point Reyes.
These numbers are in line with reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which collects data on motor vehicle collisions throughout the United States. According to the NHTSA, 80% of fatal pedestrian accidents happen in urban areas. This raises an important point for pedestrians to be extra cautious when walking around their cities and towns.
Help for Accident Victims in Marin County
As these Marin County car accident statistics show, crashes can happen anywhere, from bustling San Rafael to the areas around Muir Woods National Park. Yet most often, motor vehicle accidents happen in busier places or along roads that are heavily travelled. If you want to reduce your risk of being in an auto accident, you may consider avoiding some places and roads that have more vehicles when possible.
At the Kuvara Law Firm, we fight for the rights of injury victims to get maximum compensation for their injuries. We offer free initial consultations, and never charge a fee unless we recover money for you. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a San Rafael car accident attorney, give us a call at 415-479-7070 or fill out our online contact form.
