Blame it on a lack of will to crack down on repeat drunk driving offenders, or drinking establishments that have no qualms about over serving patrons. Whatever the reason, it is no surprise to Los Angeles car accident attorneys that Huntington Beach has the highest DUI accident rates in California.
According to data released by the California Office of Traffic Safety, 195 people were killed or injured by intoxicated motorists in Huntington Beach in 2009. The list includes 55 other California cities with a population of between 100,000 and 250,000.
Huntington Beach has always had a problem with drunk driving accidents. The city has featured on the list of the top California cities for per capita drunk driving accidents for the past five years. In 2005, the city was placed sixth on the list, and in 2006, it dropped to eighth position. In 2008, Huntington Beach was fourth on the list. In 2009 however, there had been more per capita drunk driving accidents in Huntington Beach, than any other city in California.
The news is not a surprise to the Huntington Beach Police Department either. Officers say they are aware that the city has a problem with drunk driving, but even they were not expecting their city to be the number one city for accidents caused by intoxicated motorists. According to the police department, they arrested 1,558 DUI suspects in 2009.
Surf City also has far too many bars and pubs that fail to set a limit on the amount of alcohol that a patron can be served before he goes out driving. There’s also a lot also to be said for the lackadaisical attitude that the City Council has taken toward stemming the drunk driving problem in Huntington Beach. Last month, the City Council voted down a proposal to post the mugshots of repeat drunk driving offenders on its Facebook page.
