california traffic safety survey 2023 data analysis and comparison

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023

DATA ANALYSIS AND

COMPARISON WITH 2010-2022 SURVEY DATA RESULTS

Conducted on Behalf of

The California Office of Traffic Safety

The Safe Transportation Research and Education Center

University of California, Berkeley

May 2023

 
CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS  2 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... 2 
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ........................................................................................................................... 4 
OVERVIEW OF 2023 STUDY ...................................................................................................................... 6 
SURVEY DATA ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS YEARS ........................................... 6 
Data Weights ................................................................................................................................................ 7 
Analysis Notes .............................................................................................................................................. 7 
Region Variable ............................................................................................................................................. 8 
Respondent Demographics ......................................................................................................................... 10 
Safety Concerns (Q2) ................................................................................................................................. 11 
Safety Concerns (Q2) by California Region ............................................................................................... 13 
Safety Concerns (Q2) by Age ..................................................................................................................... 13 
Behavioral Changes due to COVID-19 (COVID) by California Region .................................................... 14 
Behavioral Changes due to COVID-19 (COVID) by Age .......................................................................... 15 
Most Serious Distraction (Q3) by Survey Wave ........................................................................................ 16 
Most Serious Distraction (Q3) by Region .................................................................................................. 17 
Using Cell Phone in a Non-Hands-Free manner when Driving (Q4) by Region and Wave ...................... 18 
Driving Mistake Due to Cell Phone Use (Q5) by Wave ............................................................................ 18 
Near Crash Due to Other Driver Talking/Texting on a Cell Phone (Q6) by Wave ................................. 19 
Likelihood of Being Ticketed for Hand-Held Phone Use or Texting (Q7) by Wave ................................ 19 
Recall of “Go Safely California” (Q8a) by Region and Wave ..................................................................... 20 
Recall of “Slow the Fast Down” (Q8b) by Region and Wave .................................................................... 20 
Recall of “Don’t Let Drunk, or ‘High’ Drive” Campaign (Q8c) by Region ................................................ 21 
Recall of “Get Off Your Apps” Campaign (Q8d) by Region ...................................................................... 21 
Source of Recall of Safety Campaigns ......................................................................................................... 22 
Intoxicated Driving (Q9) by Wave ............................................................................................................. 22 
Intoxicated Driving (Q9) by Region ........................................................................................................... 23 
Use of Alternative Ride Services When Drinking (Q10) by Region and Wave ......................................... 23 
Recall of Sobriety/DUI Checkpoints in Past 6 Months (Q11) by Wave .................................................... 24 
Recall of Sobriety/DUI Checkpoints in Past 6 Months (Q11) by Region ................................................... 24 
Awareness of DUI (Q12) by Region and Wave ......................................................................................... 25 
Likelihood of Getting Arrested for Driving Impaired (Q13) by Region and Wave ................................... 25 
Perception of Marijuana Impairing Driving Functions (Q14) by Region and Wave ................................... 26 
Perception of DUI of Drugs, Legal and Illegal (Q15) by Region and Wave ............................................... 26 
Safety of Driving 10 Miles Over the Speed Limit on Freeways (Q16) by Region and Wave .................... 27 

 
CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS  3 
Safety of Driving Over the Speed Limit on Residential Streets (Q17) by Region and Wave .................... 27 
Chance of Being Ticketed for Driving Over Speed Limit on Residential Streets (Q18) by Region and 
Wave ........................................................................................................................................................... 28 
Perception of Components of Safe System Approach (Safe1) ................................................................... 29 
Most Important Factor Resulting in Traffic Injuries/Fatalities (Safe2) by Region ....................................... 30 
Main Form of Transportation (Q19) by Region ......................................................................................... 31 
Perception of Legality for Bicyclists on Roadways (Q20) by Region and Wave ........................................ 32 
Level of Comfort Sharing Road with Bicyclists with Bike Lanes (Q21) by Region and Wave ................... 32 
Level of Comfort Sharing Road with Bicyclists when Driving (Q22) by Region ........................................ 33 
Safety Problems Experienced as Pedestrian or Bicyclist (Q23) ................................................................. 34 
Safety Problems Experienced as Pedestrian or Bicyclist (Q23) by Region and Wave ............................... 35 
Safety Problems Experienced as Driver around Pedestrians and Bicyclists (Q24) .................................... 36 
Safety Problems Experienced as Driver around Pedestrians and Bicyclists (Q24) by Region and Wave . 37 
 
   

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 4

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Biggest Safety Concern (Q2)

“Speeding/Aggressive Driving” was the biggest safety concern for 76.6% of surveyed drivers of the

panel, followed by “Distracted Driving because of TEXTING” and “Drunk Driving,” mentioned by 74.2%

and 68.6% drivers, respectively (Table Q2_2).

Behavioral Changes due to COVID-19 (COVID)

Although “Aggressive Driving / Road Rage” remained the most frequently given response as the biggest

behavioral change noticed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Distracted Driving because of

Talking and/or Texting” saw a significant increase in response compared to 2022 - 15.5% in 2022 to

19.1% in 2023 (Table COVID_1).

Most Serious Distraction (Q3)

“Texting or Checking Phone While Driving” continues to be the most serious distraction on California

roadways, reported by 72.4% of drivers (Table Q3_1), with a similar distribution across all California

regions (Table Q3_2).

Near Crash Due to Talking/Texting (Q6)

There was a statistically significant increase of 3.8% in the number of respondents having been hit or

nearly hit by a driver who was talking or texting on cell phone, as compared to 2022 (Table Q6).

Recall of Traffic Safety Outreach Campaigns (Q8a-Q8e)

Almost half of the drivers recalled the safety campaign “Don’t Let Drunk, or ‘High’ Drive”, with a

significant increase of 4.9% compared to 2022 (Table Q8c). A new safety campaign introduced in 2023,

“Get Off Your Apps” was recalled by 16.9% respondents, with comparable distribution across all

California regions.

Campaign

Recall

Rate 2023

Recall

Rate 2022

Recall

Rate 2021

Recall

Rate 2020

Recall

Rate 2019

“Go Safely California”

31.1%

28.5%

35.4%

30.2%

16.4%

“Slow the Fast Down”

21.5%

17.5%

19.1%

--

“Don’t Let Drunk, or ‘High’ Drive”

49.4%

44.5%

--

“Get Off Your Apps”

16.9%

--

Alcohol-Impaired Driving (Q9)

Almost two-thirds (64.6%) of the respondents reported to not have driven when they thought they had

too much alcohol to drive safely in the past six months (Table Q9_1). The decrease of 4.4% compared to

2022 was statistically significant.

Recall of Sobriety Checkpoints (Q11)

The recall of sobriety/DUI checkpoints in the past six months saw a statistically significant increase of

4.2% this year, as compared to 2022 wave (Table Q11_1). The regional distribution also shows a

significantly higher recall by Central California drivers, compared to Northern and Southern California

(Table Q11_2).

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 5

Chances of Being Ticketed for Speeding (Q18)

There were no significant changes in the number of drivers in their perceived likelihood of being ticketed

for driving over speed limit on residential streets between 2023 and 2022. However, the regional

distribution of the responses shows a significantly higher percentage of Central California drivers

(30.9%) believe it to be “Very Likely” to get a ticket for driving over speed limit on residential streets,

while a significantly higher number of Northern California Drivers (29.0%) believe it to be “Somewhat

Unlikely” (Table Q18).

Perception of Components of Safe System Approach (Safe1)

All five factors of the Safe System Approach were rated as “Very Important” by the majority of the

respondents, similar to 2022, with “Improve safe streets design to design roads that support all road

users, including drivers, pedestrian, bicyclists and transit” being the highest rated factor of all in 2023

(Table Safe1).

Most Important Factor Resulting in Traffic Injuries/Fatalities (Safe2)

Overall, and across all California regions, “Driver behavior” was reported to be the most important

factor resulting in traffic injuries/fatalities (Table Safe2). There was no significant difference between

2022 and 2023 data.

Sharing Road with Bicyclists when Driving (Q22)

A survey item added in 2022, showed similar distribution in responses, where more than half of the

respondents (54.5%) reported to be comfortable sharing the road with bicycles “when there is a

protected bike lane divider” (Table Q22). There were no statistically significant differences between

California regions, as well as compared to the 2022 data.

Safety Problems Experienced as Pedestrian or Bicyclist (Q23)

“Cars going too fast” continues to be the most reported safety problems experienced as a pedestrian or

bicyclist consistent with previous years’ data (Table Q23_1 and Q23_2), as reported by 57.1% of the

respondents. This is followed by “Cars not stopping” and “Distracted drivers using cell phones”, reported

by 53.0% and 40.8% of the respondents, respectively.

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 6

OVERVIEW OF 2023 STUDY

Similar to the survey waves since 2020, the 2023 California Traffic Safety Public Opinion Study was

conducted by Ewald & Wasserman Research (E&W) on behalf of the California Office of Traffic Safety

(OTS) and the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center of UC Berkeley (SafeTREC), with an

online self-administered survey. Survey panelists were provided through Marketing Services Group, a

commercial sample and panel vendor.

The eligibility criteria for participating in the study were possessing a valid California driver’s license and

being 18 years or older. Eligible respondents were forwarded to an online survey portal programmed

and managed by E&W. To manage the sample composition and to ensure a similar distribution of age

and gender compared to the California census and previous waves of the Traffic Safety Study, quotas by

gender and six age groups were implemented.

Participation in the survey was anonymous, and a total of 2,815 responses were collected in April, 2023.

This report describes the findings of the 2023 Traffic Safety Public Opinion Study, along with a

comparison of previous years of data, which include opinions from a representative sample of California

drivers on a range of factors affecting traffic safety.

SURVEY DATA ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS

YEARS

Since 2020, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the data for the survey were

collected using online panels, as compared to the previous waves from

2010 through 2019, which were intercepts with survey respondents. The

intercept surveys, as administered by trained field staff, recorded

responses where the response options were not read to the respondents.

In the online survey format, the response options were all presented to the

respondents. This resulted in a greater number of responses particularly for

the multiple response questions, and very few open-ended responses.

While this facilitated a more direct comparison of results between the

waves since 2020, comparison of the current survey data with the waves

before 2020 should take the difference in modality as well as the impact of

COVID-19 on perception and driving behavior of California drivers into account.

The survey items related to the Safe System approach introduced by the U.S. Department of

Transportation

(https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/zerodeaths/docs/FHWA_SafeSystem_Brochure_V9_508_200717.pdf), that

were first introduced in 2022, continued to be a part of the survey in 2023 as well. In 2023, questions

about a new safety campaign were also introduced.

In this report, the statistically significant differences between different California regions are highlighted

in the respective region column. Similarly, the statistically significant differences between 2023 and

2022 data are highlighted in the 2023 data column. Every effort has been made to match the 2023

sample with previous waves by age, gender, and geographic region, to minimize the effects of sample

differences between data collection years.

2,815 drivers

participated in the

survey, resulting in

an overall confidence

interval of +/- 1.85,

at a confidence level

of 95%.

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 7

Data Weights

As in the previous years, the data collected in 2023 were weighted to the California adult population by

age and gender ratios derived from the 2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates to provide

more representativeness to the entire State of California. The overall sample distribution was close to

the 2021 Census data in age and gender distribution, and the applied weights only resulted in minor

adjustments to the survey data. The Census data, summarized survey data, and calculated weights

applied to the data and calculations are shown in Table Weights by Age and Gender.

Table Weights by Age and Gender. Census data, survey results and proportional weight calculation

Census Data*

Survey Data

Weights

Weighted

Survey Data

Age

Range

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

18-24

51.3%

48.7%

40.8%

59.2%

1.26

0.82

51.3%

48.7%

25-34

51.4%

48.6%

56.2%

43.8%

0.91

1.11

51.4%

48.6%

35-44

50.9%

49.1%

43.6%

56.4%

1.17

0.87

50.9%

49.1%

45-54

50.3%

49.7%

41.2%

58.8%

1.22

0.85

50.3%

49.7%

55-70

48.8%

51.2%

57.8%

42.2%

0.84

1.21

48.8%

51.2%

71 +

43.7%

56.3%

55.8%

44.2%

0.78

1.27

43.7%

56.3%

Average

50.0%

48.7%

51.3%

1.03

0.97

50.0%

*Source: Census.gov: ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates

The population weights for gender were calculated based on the proportional weight calculation

formula in the Table Weights Formula.

Table Weights Formula. Proportional weight calculation formula

Analysis Notes

The 2023 Traffic Safety survey used a convenience sample of a commercially available online panel,

similar to the waves since 2020. The survey findings summarized in this report are based on a sample

size similar to previous years’ data collection and tests for significance were calculated and will be noted

where applicable.

⮊ All tables in this report are based on valid answers provided, excluding

“Don’t know” and “Prefer not to answer” response options; therefore, the

total number of responses varies by table. Additionally, not all questions

were displayed to all respondents due to skip patterns programmed in the

survey.

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 8

⮊ For multiple choice questions, a respondent could give more than one

answer. The listed “Percent of cases” column in respective tables are

calculated from the total number of respondents who answered a question.

The resulting percentage is more than 100.0% and reflects the percentage

of respondents who selected the answer, not the percentage of total

answers given, which would add up to 100.0%.

⮊ The findings are reported weighted, with the data weights applied as

outlined in Table Weights by Age and Gender.

⮊ The significances outlined refer to a two-tailed probability with the resulting

value of “z” and a p value indicating the difference between the listed (and

assumed independent) proportion of drivers interviewed per wave. Where

applicable, the significant differences calculated were adjusted for pairwise

comparisons using the Bonferroni correction. Significant findings in table

cells are highlighted in orange.

⮊ The survey version used was same as the 2022 survey instrument, with the

addition of one question about a new safety campaign.

Region Variable

All California counties were included in the 2023 survey, as in the previous waves of online surveys. The

counties the panelists reported to live in were then used to create the Region variable: “Northern

California”, “Central California” and “Southern California”, as outlined in the table below (Table R1).

Table R1. Three geographic region definitions by county

Northern California

Alameda

El Dorado

Mendocino

San Francisco

Sutter

Alpine

Glenn

Modoc

San Mateo

Tehama

Amador

Humboldt

Napa

Santa Clara

Trinity

Butte

Lake

Nevada

Shasta

Yolo

Colusa

Lassen

Placer

Siskiyou

Yuba

Contra Costa

Marin

Plumas

Solano

Del Norte

Mariposa

Sacramento

Sonoma

Central California

Southern California

Calaveras

Monterey

Tulare

Imperial

Fresno

San Benito

Tuolumne

Los Angeles

Inyo

San Joaquin

Orange

Kern

San Luis Obispo

Riverside

Kings

Santa Barbara

San Bernardino

Madera

Santa Cruz

San Diego

Merced

Stanislaus

Ventura

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 9

For the 2023 survey, data was collected from 56 counties, with Table R2 showing the number of

completed surveys by county.

Table R2. Completed surveys by county (non-weighted data)

County

Northern

California

Total

County

Central

California

Total

County

Southern

California

Total

Alameda

118

4.2%

Calaveras

5

0.2%

Imperial

15

0.5%

Alpine

3

0.1%

Fresno

101

3.6%

Los Angeles

757

26.9%

Amador

7

0.2%

Inyo

1

0.0%

Orange

200

7.1%

Butte

21

0.7%

Kern

63

2.2%

Riverside

147

5.2%

Colusa

5

0.2%

Kings

9

0.3%

San

Bernardino

139

4.9%

Contra Costa

89

3.2%

Madera

9

0.3%

San Diego

233

8.3%

Del Norte

7

0.2%

Merced

17

0.6%

Ventura

62

2.2%

El Dorado

31

1.1%

Monterey

23

0.8%

Total

1,553

Glenn

3

0.1%

San Benito

3

0.1%

% of total

55.2%

Humboldt

13

0.5%

San Joaquin

41

1.5%

Lake

3

0.1%

San Luis Obispo

19

0.7%

Lassen

1

0.0%

Santa Barbara

30

1.1%

Marin

16

0.6%

Santa Cruz

16

0.6%

Mariposa

3

0.1%

Stanislaus

25

0.9%

Mendocino

10

0.4%

Tulare

25

0.9%

Modoc

1

0.0%

Tuolumne

4

0.1%

Napa

8

0.3%

Total

391

Nevada

8

0.3%

% of total

13.9%

Placer

28

1.0%

Plumas

1

0.0%

Sacramento

140

5.0%

San Francisco

78

2.8%

San Mateo

48

1.7%

Santa Clara

117

4.2%

Shasta

17

0.6%

Siskiyou

1

0.0%

Solano

25

0.9%

Sonoma

37

1.3%

Sutter

6

0.2%

Tehama

5

0.2%

Trinity

1

0.0%

Yolo

14

0.5%

Yuba

6

0.2%

Total

871

% of total

30.9%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 10

The total number of surveys per California region, the unweighted percent of completes per region, as

well as the weighted percentage of completes per region are outlined in Table R3. Consistent with

previous years’ data, the majority of responses (1,553 responses, 55.5% weighted) for the 2023 survey

came from Southern California drivers.

Table R3. Completed surveys by region and year

Region

Number

Completes

Percent

Weighted

Percent

2022

Percent

2021

Percent

2020

Percent

2019

Percent

Northern California

871

30.9%

30.7%

30.8%

28.1%

29.5%

32.6%

Central California

391

13.9%

13.8%

12.4%

12.6%

12.7%

12.6%

Southern California

1,553

55.2%

55.5%

56.8%

59.3%

57.8%

54.9%

Total

2,815

100.0%

Respondent Demographics

The weighted respondent age and gender distribution in total and by California region, as compared to

previous years, is outlined in Table D1. The results show a slightly lower percentage of 25-34 age-group,

both male and female, as compared with 2022 survey data. The response rate for age groups 18-24 and

55-70, in both male and female, are slightly higher compared to the previous year.

Table D1. Age and gender distribution by geographic regions and year comparison

Gender

Age

Group

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

Male

18-24

18.5%

24.4%

17.8%

19.0%

17.7%

18.7%

10.7%

11.9%

25-34

21.1%

26.4%

20.7%

21.6%

25.6%

20.7%

23.1%

25.0%

35-44

16.2%

14.9%

20.9%

18.6%

18.2%

21.0%

23.6%

25.6%

45-54

16.9%

16.4%

18.1%

17.5%

17.8%

19.2%

25.1%

19.8%

55-70

21.5%

14.9%

18.2%

18.8%

16.6%

16.7%

14.6%

14.8%

71 or older

5.9%

3.0%

4.3%

4.6%

4.0%

3.6%

2.9%

3.0%

Total

100.0%

Female

18-24

16.2%

21.3%

18.4%

18.1%

17.0%

17.7%

10.1%

17.1%

25-34

18.7%

25.1%

20.7%

24.2%

19.5%

21.7%

25.3%

35-44

17.6%

15.8%

18.8%

18.0%

17.9%

20.6%

23.3%

19.3%

45-54

18.7%

20.2%

16.0%

17.4%

18.2%

19.4%

25.2%

19.9%

55-70

21.3%

14.8%

20.2%

19.8%

17.9%

15.9%

15.5%

71 or older

7.5%

2.7%

5.9%

6.0%

4.8%

4.9%

3.9%

2.9%

Total

100.0%

The distribution of respondent gender by region is shown in Table D2.

Table D2. Gender distribution by geographic regions

Gender

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

Male

50.1%

52.6%

49.6%

50.2%

Female

49.9%

47.4%

50.4%

49.8%

Total

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 11

Safety Concerns (Q2)

The biggest safety concern on California roadways was a multiple-choice question and the answering

options are outlined below in Table Q2_1. The open-ended responses in the “Other”” category did not

warrant any additional categorization.

Table Q2_1. “In your opinion, what are the biggest safety problems on California roadways?”

Drunk Driving

Speeding/Aggressive Driving

Distracted Driving because of TALKING

Distracted Driving because of TEXTING

Internal Car Distractions (passengers, eating,

grooming, adjusting radio/stereo)

Bad Road Surfaces

Not Wearing Seatbelts

Drugged Driving

Other (un-coded)

There was a total of 10,672 responses provided to the question of the perceived biggest safety concern

on California roadways. The most frequently mentioned response was “Speeding/Aggressive Driving”

which accounted for 19.7% of all answers given, and was mentioned by over three-quarters (76.6%) of

the respondents. This was followed by “Distracted Driving because of TEXTING” and “Drunk Driving”,

mentioned by 74.2% and 68.6% of all respondents respectively (Table Q2_2). The top three safety

concerns on California roadways are highlighted in green in the table below.

Table Q2_2. Frequencies of Q2 by percent of answers and percent of drivers

Q2 all answers combined

Count

% of

Answers

% of

Drivers

Speeding/Aggressive Driving

2,097

19.7%

76.6%

Distracted Driving because of TEXTING

2,031

19.0%

74.2%

Drunk Driving

1,878

17.6%

68.6%

Bad Road Surfaces

1,350

12.6%

49.3%

Drugged Driving

1,158

10.8%

42.3%

Distracted Driving because of TALKING

837

7.8%

30.6%

Internal Car Distractions (passengers, eating,

grooming, adjusting radio/stereo)

626

5.9%

22.9%

Not Wearing Seatbelts

607

5.7%

22.2%

All Other Responses Combined

87

0.8%

3.2%

Total

10,672

100.0%

389.7%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 12

The most frequently mentioned responses to the biggest safety concern on California roadways, as compared to the previous years, are shown in

Table Q2_3, with the three highest percentage answers in each year highlighted. Consistent to all previous years, “Speeding/Aggressive Driving”

and “Distracted Driving because of Texting” remain the top most safety concerns, followed closely by “Drunk Driving”.

Table Q2_3. Frequencies of top six responses to Q2 by percent of answers provided and by year of data collection

Q2 all Answers

Combined

% Answers

2023

% Answers

2022

% Answers

2021

% Answers

2020

% Answers

2019

% Answers

2018

% Answers

2017

% Answers

2016

% Answers

2015

% Answers

2014

% Answers

2013

% Answers

2012

% Answers

2011

% Answers

2010

Speeding/Aggressive

Driving

19.7%

19.6%

18.8%

19.1%

20.3%

19.4%

27.7%

19.2%

18.1%

20.2%

14.3%

15.6%

17.6%

18.2%

Distracted Driving

because of Texting

19.0%

18.7%

18.9%

19.8%

19.4%

16.9%

14.7%

18.2%

16.1%

21.2%

20.3%

17.1%

18.5%

9.9%

Drunk Driving

17.6%

17.5%

17.9%

9.2%

6.5%

22.9%

5.6%

6.6%

6.2%

5.7%

4.3%

12.6%

7.9%

Bad Road Surfaces

12.6%

11.8%

10.9%

10.5%

11.0%

15.3%

3.8%

12.2%

13.0%

10.4%

9.2%

11.4%

11.6%

Drugged Driving

10.8%

11.0%

11.2%

10.6%

1.8%

1.3%

1.5%

--

Distracted Driving

because of Talking

7.8%

8.3%

9.0%

15.7%

14.2%

11.9%

13.8%

11.7%

18.0%

16.0%

18.3%

20.3%

15.8%

All other responses

combined

12.5%

13.0%

13.7%

13.1%

22.6%

26.4%

17.5%

31.0%

34.5%

24.0%

34.5%

33.3%

19.4%

36.6%

Total responses

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 13

Safety Concerns (Q2) by California Region

The biggest safety concern by California region is shown in Table Q2_4 (highest percentage answer highlighted), with “Speeding/Aggressive

Driving” being the most frequently mentioned response across all California regions. However, in Southern California, drivers mentioned

“Distracted Driving because of Texting” as the biggest safety concern on California roadways along with “Speeding/Aggressive Driving”.

Table Q2_4. Frequencies of top five safety concerns by region

Q2 by Region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Speeding/Aggressive Driving

20.2%

18.6%

19.6%

Distracted Driving because of TEXTING

18.5%

18.0%

19.6%

Drunk Driving

17.6%

18.0%

17.5%

Bad Road Surfaces

13.1%

13.5%

12.2%

Drugged Driving

11.0%

11.4%

10.6%

All other responses combined

19.6%

20.5%

Total

100.0%

Safety Concerns (Q2) by Age

The cross-tabulation of stated safety concerns by age group are shown in Table Q2_5. In age group 18-24, “Drunk Driving” was the biggest safety

concern, while “Distracted Driving because of Texting” remains top safety concern for the age group 45-54, while all other age groups noted

“Speeding/Aggressive Driving”.

Table Q2_5. Cross-tabulation of top five safety concerns by age group

Q2 by Age

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-70

71 or

older

Speeding/Aggressive Driving

20.3%

19.6%

19.2%

19.4%

19.8%

19.4%

Distracted Driving because of TEXTING

18.0%

18.8%

19.9%

19.6%

18.8%

Drunk Driving

20.7%

18.7%

17.0%

16.5%

15.7%

16.2%

Bad Road Surfaces

10.7%

12.9%

13.6%

13.7%

12.6%

12.0%

Drugged Driving

11.0%

10.1%

9.9%

11.4%

11.6%

All other responses combined

19.3%

19.9%

21.5%

19.1%

20.7%

22.0%

Total

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 14

Behavioral Changes due to COVID-19 (COVID) by California Region

The perceived change in driving behavior since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a question added to the survey in 2021, saw the trend

continue where California drivers stated “Aggressive Driving/Road Rage” most frequently across all three regions. Table COVID_1 shows the

distribution of answers across the California regions, as well as the comparison with 2022 and 2021 answers. While most of the answers remain

quite similar to the previous waves, “Distracted Driving because of Talking and/or Texting” saw a significant rise since 2022 (p<0.01).

Table COVID_1. “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the biggest change in behaviors you have noticed from drivers?” by region

COVID by Region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Aggressive Driving/Road Rage

32.6%

28.7%

35.6%

33.8%

34.7%

26.5%

Have Not Noticed Any Changes

21.0%

24.2%

20.5%

21.1%

23.3%

23.8%

Speeding

19.3%

14.9%

16.2%

18.5%

24.2%

Distracted Driving because of TALKING

and/or TEXTING

17.9%

20.5%

19.5%

19.1%

15.5%

16.4%

Impaired Driving

5.9%

8.0%

5.5%

6.0%

4.2%

5.7%

Not Wearing Seatbelts

1.9%

2.1%

2.6%

2.3%

2.1%

1.8%

Other (uncoded)

1.4%

1.6%

1.4%

1.8%

0.3%

Total

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 15

Behavioral Changes due to COVID-19 (COVID) by Age

While drivers of all age groups stated “Aggressive Driving/Road Rage” as the biggest change in behavior since the onset of the COVID-19

pandemic (Table COVID_2), “Distracted Driving because of Talking and/or Texting” remains the second most frequently stated change in

behavior for the drivers aged 18-24, while drivers of other age groups state not to have noticed any changes as the second most frequently cited

response.

Table COVID_2. “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the biggest change in behaviors you have noticed from drivers?” by age

COVID by Age

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-70

71 or

older

Aggressive Driving/Road Rage

26.2%

34.0%

32.3%

38.1%

39.4%

28.5%

Distracted Driving because of TALKING

and/or TEXTING

24.0%

17.4%

16.2%

19.6%

17.7%

23.6%

Have Not Noticed Any Changes

20.0%

17.5%

23.6%

21.2%

22.4%

25.7%

Speeding

19.6%

17.0%

16.0%

13.3%

15.2%

16.7%

Impaired Driving

5.6%

8.2%

7.6%

4.8%

3.4%

4.9%

Not Wearing Seatbelts

3.4%

5.0%

2.2%

1.2%

0.4%

0.0%

Other (uncoded)

1.2%

0.9%

2.2%

1.7%

1.5%

0.7%

Total

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 16

Most Serious Distraction (Q3) by Survey Wave

The survey item about the most serious distraction for drivers has been a part of the survey since 2010. While the first three years until 2012,

“Talking on Phone While Driving” was the most frequently given answer, since 2013 “Texting or Checking Phone While Driving” has remained the

most frequently given answer as the most serious distraction for drivers (Table Q3_1, most frequent response highlighted).

Note: Some of the answering choices provided were phrased slightly differently since the 2021 survey; the minor wording changes of the

response choices are outlined below the table.

Table Q3_1. Frequencies of Q3 by survey year

Q3

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Total

2013

Total

2012

Total

2011

Total

2010

Texting or Checking

Phone While Driving*

72.4%

71.9%

69.7%

68.5%

46.7%

44.5%

50.8%

44.1%

39.0%

51.8%

47.9%

37.2%

27.6%

12.7%

Talking on Phone

While Driving

15.0%

14.4%

17.2%

17.4%

23.1%

32.2%

31.9%

33.5%

22.2%

29.5%

33.4%

42.8%

56.0%

61.9%

Car Crashes causing

Rubbernecking***

4.3%

6.3%

5.0%

6.4%

6.2%

5.3%

1.4%

1.7%

1.6%

1.3%

1.4%

2.9%

1.9%

Passengers in Car

2.5%

1.7%

2.4%

1.2%

4.1%

2.3%

1.7%

0.6%

1.2%

2.0%

1.5%

1.4%

1.8%

3.3%

Eating While Driving

2.1%

1.9%

2.5%

1.7%

2.4%

0.5%

1.3%

0.6%

1.5%

1.8%

0.5%

0.8%

1.2%

1.9%

Dashboard/Navigation

Systems**

2.1%

1.8%

1.5%

1.7%

2.5%

0.8%

1.3%

1.7%

0.7%

0.9%

0.4%

0.5%

0.2%

Roadside Billboards

0.8%

0.7%

1.0%

1.5%

2.3%

1.7%

1.2%

1.5%

2.6%

0.9%

1.8%

1.9%

1.3%

2.1%

All other responses

combined

0.9%

1.3%

0.7%

1.6%

12.7%

10.4%

16.3%

31.2%

11.8%

13.1%

12.5%

9.7%

16.0%

Total

100.0%

*”Texting while Driving” in 2020 and earlier surveys

**”GPS/Navigation System” in 2020 and earlier surveys

***”Car Crashes/Vehicle Issues” in 2020 and earlier surveys

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 17

Most Serious Distraction (Q3) by Region

Similar to the overall distribution, “Texting or Checking Phone While Driving” is the most frequently given response across all three California

regions, with a comparable distribution of responses (Table Q3_2).

Table Q3_2. Frequencies of Q3 by California region

Q3 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Texting or Checking Phone While

Driving

70.5%

72.3%

73.5%

Talking on Phone While Driving

15.0%

16.2%

14.6%

Car Crashes causing Rubbernecking

5.0%

3.7%

3.9%

Passengers in Car

2.9%

1.9%

2.4%

Eating While Driving

2.7%

2.9%

1.6%

Dashboard/Navigation Systems

2.3%

1.6%

2.2%

Roadside Billboards

0.5%

0.8%

0.9%

All Other Responses Combined

1.2%

0.5%

0.8%

Total

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 18

Using Cell Phone in a Non-Hands-Free manner when Driving (Q4) by Region and Wave

Similar to previous years, 30.7% respondents in 2023 stated to have used a cell phone in a non-hands-free manner when driving in the past 30

days (Table Q4). The differences between the three California regions, as well as the total responses between 2023 and 2022 are not statistically

significant.

Table Q4. “How often in the past 30 days have you used a cell phone in a non-hands-free manner when driving?*” by region and year

Q4 by

Region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Regularly

105

47

208

360

341

423

428

458

443

12.5%

13.7%

13.2%

12.4%

15.2%

15.1%

35.4%

32.0%

Sometimes

132

69

276

477

481

518

528

380

295

15.8%

18.4%

18.2%

17.5%

18.6%

29.4%

21.3%

Rarely

218

112

414

744

747

792

872

268

298

26.0%

29.9%

27.3%

27.2%

28.5%

30.7%

20.7%

21.5%

Never

383

147

617

1,147

1,180

1,046

1,015

188

348

45.7%

39.2%

40.7%

42.0%

42.9%

37.6%

35.7%

14.5%

25.1%

Total

838

375

1,515

2,728

2,749

2,779

2,843

1,294

1,384

100.0%

* The phrasing of Q4 up to 2021 data collection was: “How often in the past 30 days have you used an electronic wireless device, like a cell phone while driving"?

Driving Mistake Due to Cell Phone Use (Q5) by Wave

Self-reported driving mistakes made while talking or texting on a cell phone saw a 2.1% increase between 2022 and 2023 (Table Q5). However,

this difference is not statistically significant.

Table Q5. “Have you EVER made a driving mistake while talking OR texting on a cell phone?” by year

Q5 by year

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Total

2013

Total

2012

Total

2011

Total

2010

Yes

1,165

1,104

1,108

1,263

665

634

670

550

744

858

866

827

802

766

42.7%

40.6%

40.2%

44.7%

51.3%

46.0%

49.3%

43.9%

39.4%

47.1%

45.0%

44.6%

45.8%

46.5%

No

1,563

1,617

1,648

1,561

632

743

690

704

1,143

965

1,060

1,027

951

883

57.3%

59.4%

59.8%

55.3%

48.7%

54.0%

50.7%

56.1%

60.6%

52.9%

55.0%

55.4%

54.2%

53.5%

Total

2,727

2,721

2,756

2,824

1,297

1,377

1,360

1,254

1,887

1,823

1,926

1,854

1,753

1,649

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 19

Near Crash Due to Other Driver Talking/Texting on a Cell Phone (Q6) by Wave

Table Q6 shows the number of respondents having been hit or nearly hit by a driver who was talking or texting on a cell phone. While there are

no difference between regions, the 3.8% increase since 2022 is statistically significant at p<0.05.

Table Q6. “Have you EVER been hit or nearly hit by a driver who was talking or texting on a cell phone?” by year

Q6 by year

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Total

2013

Total

2012

Total

2011

Total

2010

Yes

1,479

1,370

1,434

1,466

739

852

827

685

1,117

1,098

421

1,067

1,038

912

54.0%

50.2%

51.9%

51.7%

57.9%

62.3%

61.0%

54.6%

59.6%

61.2%

59.5%

60.1%

57.5%

No

1,261

1,361

1,330

1,371

538

515

528

570

756

697

286

708

689

673

46.0%

49.8%

48.1%

48.3%

42.1%

37.7%

39.0%

45.4%

40.4%

38.8%

40.5%

39.9%

42.5%

Total

2,740

2,732

2,764

2,837

1,277

1,367

1,355

1,255

1,873

1,795

707

1,775

1,727

1,585

100.0%

Likelihood of Being Ticketed for Hand-Held Phone Use or Texting (Q7) by Wave

Drivers’ rating of the likelihood of being ticketed for using a hand-held cell phone or texting is shown in Table Q7, with a similar distribution to

previous waves and almost half of respondents stating it to be very or somewhat likely to be ticketed for hand-held cell phone use while driving.

Table Q7. “What do you think is the likelihood of being ticketed for hand-held cell phone use or texting while driving?” by year

Q7 by year

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Total

2013

Total

2012

Very Likely

568

593

643

679

269

314

287

272

444

424

493

368

20.7%

21.6%

23.2%

23.9%

21.0%

23.0%

21.2%

21.5%

23.4%

26.3%

20.1%

Somewhat Likely

800

778

760

792

288

344

277

265

459

416

599

570

29.2%

28.3%

27.4%

27.9%

22.4%

25.1%

20.4%

21.0%

24.2%

23.0%

31.9%

31.2%

Neither Likely or

Unlikely

438

381

378

391

228

168

197

150

218

210

131

154

16.0%

13.9%

13.6%

13.8%

17.8%

12.3%

14.5%

11.9%

11.5%

11.6%

7.0%

8.4%

Somewhat Unlikely

257

451

444

425

261

250

262

256

361

376

306

356

9.4%

16.4%

16.0%

15.0%

20.3%

18.3%

19.3%

20.3%

19.1%

20.8%

16.3%

19.5%

Very Unlikely

680

546

552

555

238

292

333

320

412

385

349

379

24.8%

19.9%

19.5%

18.5%

21.3%

24.6%

25.3%

21.8%

21.3%

18.6%

20.7%

Total

2,743

2,750

2,778

2,841

1,284

1,395

1,356

1,263

1,894

1,811

1,878

1,827

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 20

Recall of “Go Safely California” (Q8a) by Region and Wave

Every year, respondents are asked about various California Office of Traffic Safety campaigns. In 2023, about a third of respondents (31.1%)

could recall hearing or seeing the safety campaign “Go Safely California”, with the drivers from Central California having the highest recall

(33.7%).

Table Q8a. “In the past 6 months, do you recall: Go Safely California?” by region and year

Q8a by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Yes

236

104

408

748

668

840

744

207

32.0%

33.7%

30.1%

31.1%

28.5%

35.4%

30.2%

16.4%

No

502

205

947

1,654

1,678

1,535

1,716

1052

68.0%

66.3%

69.9%

68.9%

71.5%

64.6%

69.8%

83.6%

Total

738

309

1,355

2,402

2,346

2,375

2,460

1,259

100.0%

Recall of “Slow the Fast Down” (Q8b) by Region and Wave

The second safety campaign “Slow the Fast Down” was recalled by 21.5% of respondents, with a comparable distribution across regions (Table

Q8b). There is a significant increase of 4.0% (p<0.01) in the recall rate of the safety campaign since 2022.

Table Q8b. “In the past 6 months, do you recall: Slow the Fast Down?” by region and year

Q8b by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Yes

160

74

303

537

433

479

20.7%

22.6%

21.7%

21.5%

17.5%

19.1%

No

612

254

1,092

1,958

2,036

2,023

79.3%

77.4%

78.3%

78.5%

82.5%

80.9%

Total

772

328

1,395

2,495

2,469

2,502

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 21

Recall of “Don’t Let Drunk, or ‘High’ Drive” Campaign (Q8c) by Region

The third safety campaign “Don’t Let Drunk, or ‘High’ Drive”, introduced as a survey item in 2022, was recalled by 49.4% of respondents, with a

comparable distribution among the California regions (Table Q8c) and a significant increase of 4.9% since 2022 (p<0.01).

Table Q8c. “In the past 6 months, do you recall: “Don’t Let Drunk, or ‘High’ Drive” by region and year

Q8c by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Yes

363

173

705

1,241

1,122

47.5%

50.9%

50.1%

49.4%

44.5%

No

402

167

703

1,272

1,401

52.5%

49.1%

49.9%

50.6%

55.5%

Total

765

340

1,408

2,513

2,523

100.0%

Recall of “Get Off Your Apps” Campaign (Q8d) by Region

One new safety campaign “Get Off Your Apps” was added as a survey item in 2023, which was recalled by 16.9% of respondents, with a

comparable distribution among the California regions (Table Q8d).

Table Q8d. “In the past 6 months, do you recall: “Get Off Your Apps” by region and year

Q8d by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Yes

131

61

242

434

16.5%

17.6%

17.0%

16.9%

No

661

286

1,181

2,128

83.5%

82.4%

83.0%

83.1%

Total

792

347

1,423

2,562

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 22

Source of Recall of Safety Campaigns

Respondents who recalled seeing or hearing a safety campaign, were then asked about the source of their recall. Table Q8a-d below outlines the

responses, with Roadside Billboard being the most cited source for all the safety campaigns.

Table Q8a-d Follow-Up: “Where did you See or Hear…?” respective campaign source

Q8a-d

Go Safely

California

Slow the

Fast Down

Don’t Let Drunk,

or ‘High’ Drive

Get Off

Your Apps

Roadside billboard

26.9%

28.2%

39.6%

19.9%

TV

17.5%

13.2%

17.0%

14.4%

Facebook

14.6%

16.5%

10.6%

18.5%

Instagram

11.9%

13.9%

8.2%

15.6%

Radio

10.4%

7.9%

8.9%

7.9%

Twitter

9.8%

10.9%

6.9%

13.0%

Web

8.1%

9.0%

7.3%

10.0%

Other

0.7%

0.3%

1.5%

0.9%

Total

100.0%

Intoxicated Driving (Q9) by Wave

All respondents were asked whether they had driven when they thought they had too much alcohol to drive safely in the past six months.

Almost two-thirds (64.6%) did not, a significant 4.4% decrease from 2022 (p<0.05, Table Q9_1).

Table Q9_1. “In the past 6 months, did you drive when you thought you had too much alcohol to drive safely?” by year

Q9 by year

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Total

2013

Total

2012

Total

2011

Total

2010

Yes

229

197

256

223

95

88

137

83

138

162

119

102

120

99

8.3%

7.2%

9.2%

7.8%

7.3%

6.3%

10.1%

6.6%

7.2%

8.8%

6.2%

5.5%

6.7%

6.0%

No

1,778

1,897

1,846

1,945

766

980

918

816

1,264

1,258

1,452

1,263

1,267

1,214

64.6%

69.0%

66.4%

68.2%

59.2%

70.5%

67.4%

64.5%

65.6%

68.3%

75.3%

68.6%

70.7%

73.5%

I do not

drink at all

746

654

678

685

433

322

307

367

525

422

358

475

405

338

27.1%

23.8%

24.4%

24.0%

33.5%

23.2%

22.5%

29.0%

27.2%

22.9%

18.6%

25.8%

22.6%

20.5%

Total

2,754

2,748

2,781

2,853

1,294

1,390

1,362

1,266

1,927

1,842

1,929

1,840

1,792

1,671

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 23

Intoxicated Driving (Q9) by Region

The distribution of instances of intoxicated driving by California region are outlined in Table Q9_2.

Table Q9_2. “In the past 6 months, did you drive when you thought you had too much alcohol to drive safely?” by region

Q9 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Yes

59

35

135

7.0%

9.2%

8.8%

No

546

233

999

65.0%

61.3%

65.2%

I do not

drink at all

235

112

398

28.0%

29.5%

26.0%

Total

840

380

1,532

100.0%

Use of Alternative Ride Services When Drinking (Q10) by Region and Wave

The respondents who do not drink at all skipped over the follow-up that asked about using an alternate transportation ride (e.g., taxi, rideshare,

ride app, etc.) when drinking with others or alone. A total of 47.2% of reported they “Always” or “Sometimes” use alternate transportation,

while 52.8% respondents reported to rarely or never use alternate transportation when drinking with others or alone (Table Q10).

Table Q10. “In the past 6 months, how often have you used alternate transportation when drinking with others or alone?” by region and year

Q10 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Always

170

61

276

507

534

394

457

316

330

278

187

319

150

28.0%

23.0%

24.6%

25.4%

25.6%

18.8%

21.2%

37.1%

31.2%

26.4%

20.8%

22.9%

10.6%

Sometimes

121

60

255

436

368

351

389

217

240

188

162

177

179

19.9%

22.6%

22.7%

21.8%

17.7%

16.8%

18.1%

25.5%

22.7%

17.8%

18.0%

12.7%

Rarely

84

47

160

291

276

245

272

88

115

147

111

184

189

13.8%

17.7%

14.2%

14.6%

13.3%

11.7%

12.6%

10.3%

10.9%

13.9%

12.3%

13.2%

13.4%

Never

232

97

433

762

905

1,104

1,036

230

372

442

439

710

894

38.2%

36.6%

38.5%

38.2%

43.4%

52.7%

48.1%

27.0%

35.2%

41.9%

48.8%

51.1%

63.3%

Total

607

265

1,124

1,996

2,083

2,094

2,154

851

1,057

1,055

899

1,390

1,412

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 24

Recall of Sobriety/DUI Checkpoints in Past 6 Months (Q11) by Wave

More than half (56.4%) of the respondents reported to have seen or heard about police setting up sobriety/DUI checkpoints in the past six

months (Table Q11_1), a 4.2% significant increase since 2022 is significant (p<0.05).

Table Q11_1. “In the past 6 months, have you seen/heard anything about police setting up sobriety/DUI checkpoints to catch drunk drivers?”

by year

Q11

by year

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Total

2013

Total

2012

Total

2011

Total

2010

Yes

1,390

1,277

1,234

1,415

489

593

706

735

1,094

1,327

993

1,263

1,300

1,006

56.4%

52.1%

51.0%

55.5%

40.1%

45.7%

52.9%

57.9%

56.8%

71.3%

51.6%

67.8%

72.9%

60.6%

No

1,077

1,173

1,187

1,135

730

704

629

535

831

535

931

599

483

653

43.6%

47.9%

49.0%

44.5%

59.9%

54.3%

47.1%

42.1%

43.2%

28.7%

48.4%

32.2%

27.1%

39.4%

Total

2,467

2,450

2,421

2,550

1,219

1,297

1,335

1,270

1,925

1,862

1,924

1,862

1,783

1,659

100.0%

Recall of Sobriety/DUI Checkpoints in Past 6 Months (Q11) by Region

The recall of sobriety/DUI checkpoints by California region is presented in Table Q11_2. The regional distribution shows a significantly higher

recall by Central California drivers (p<0.05).

Table Q11_2. “In the past 6 months, have you seen/heard anything about police setting up sobriety/DUI checkpoints to catch drunk drivers?”

by region

Q11 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Yes

406

225

760

54.2%

65.6%

55.3%

No

343

118

615

45.8%

34.4%

44.7%

Total

749

343

1,375

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 25

Awareness of DUI (Q12) by Region and Wave

The majority of California drivers (91.2%) across all regions reported to be aware of getting a DUI for driving under the influence of legal or illegal

drugs (Table Q12). This finding is consistent with previous years’ data.

Table Q12. “Did you know that you can get a DUI if you drive under the influence of legal or illegal drugs?” by region and year

Q12 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Yes

778

343

1,389

2,510

2,464

2,449

2,572

1,132

1,263

1,209

92.2%

90.3%

90.9%

91.2%

89.9%

88.5%

90.3%

90.0%

93.8%

91.2%

No

66

37

139

242

278

317

275

126

83

116

7.8%

9.7%

9.1%

8.8%

10.1%

11.5%

9.7%

10.0%

6.2%

8.8%

Total

844

380

1,528

2,752

2,742

2,766

2,847

1,258

1,346

1,325

100.0%

Likelihood of Getting Arrested for Driving Impaired (Q13) by Region and Wave

The perception of the likelihood of getting ticketed for driving impaired show a similar distribution in 2023 as compared to 2022 (Table Q13).

Overall, 79.3% respondents believed it to be “Very Likely” or “Somewhat Likely” to get arrested for driving impaired.

Table Q13. “In your opinion, how likely is it for someone to get arrested if they drive impaired?” by region and year

Q13 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Very Likely

291

154

573

1,018

1,017

1,003

1,099

571

569

519

643

808

34.8%

40.8%

37.7%

37.2%

36.3%

38.6%

45.4%

42.5%

38.7%

41.3%

34.7%

44.5%

Somewhat

Likely

360

149

629

1,138

1,117

1,175

1,177

394

454

446

377

625

515

43.1%

39.5%

41.4%

41.6%

40.9%

42.5%

41.4%

31.3%

33.9%

33.2%

30.0%

33.7%

28.4%

Somewhat

Unlikely

142

58

247

447

462

299

213

206

243

264

373

316

17.0%

15.4%

16.2%

16.4%

16.9%

16.7%

14.0%

16.9%

15.4%

18.1%

21.0%

20.1%

17.4%

Very

Unlikely

43

16

71

130

135

125

171

81

109

134

97

214

175

5.1%

4.2%

4.7%

4.8%

4.9%

4.5%

6.0%

6.4%

8.1%

10.0%

7.7%

11.5%

9.6%

Total

836

377

1,520

2,733

2,731

2,765

2,846

1,259

1,338

1,342

1,257

1,855

1,814

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 26

Perception of Marijuana Impairing Driving Functions (Q14) by Region and Wave

Table Q14 shows the perception of marijuana use impairing driving, with results similar to previous waves of data collection.

Table Q14. “Do you think marijuana can impair driving related functions, such as reaction time, distance perception, lane tracking,

coordination and balance?” by region and year

Q14 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Yes

660

279

1,196

2,135

2,091

2,138

2,271

1,019

1,048

78.1%

74.0%

78.5%

77.8%

76.3%

77.0%

80.1%

80.0%

77.3%

No

58

38

127

223

234

237

209

125

98

6.9%

10.1%

8.3%

8.1%

8.5%

7.4%

9.8%

7.2%

It Depends

127

60

200

387

416

401

356

130

210

15.0%

15.9%

13.1%

14.1%

15.2%

14.4%

12.6%

10.2%

15.5%

Total

845

377

1,523

2,745

2,741

2,776

2,836

1,274

1,356

100.0%

Perception of DUI of Drugs, Legal and Illegal (Q15) by Region and Wave

Consistent with the trend from previous waves, over half of all respondents (50.6%) believe that driving under the influence of drugs, including

marijuana, prescription, and illegal, is “A Very Big Problem” (Table Q15). Distribution of responses by regions show no significant difference

between the California regions.

Table Q15. “How serious of a problem is driving under the influence of drugs: including marijuana, prescription, and illegal?” by region and year

Q15 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

A Very Big

Problem

415

200

773

1,388

1,365

1,437

1,486

617

664

715

717

980

49.2%

53.6%

50.7%

50.6%

50.0%

51.9%

52.3%

49.6%

49.3%

53.5%

58.1%

54.7%

Somewhat of a

Problem

335

133

558

1,026

1,033

1,030

1,006

353

494

461

381

571

39.7%

35.7%

36.6%

37.4%

37.8%

37.2%

35.4%

28.4%

36.7%

34.5%

30.9%

31.9%

A Small

Problem

77

32

172

281

291

259

287

237

140

122

113

193

9.1%

8.6%

11.3%

10.2%

10.7%

9.4%

10.1%

19.1%

10.4%

9.1%

10.8%

Not a Problem

at all

17

8

22

47

43

42

63

37

48

39

24

48

2.0%

2.1%

1.4%

1.7%

1.6%

1.5%

2.2%

3.0%

3.6%

2.9%

1.9%

2.7%

Total

844

373

1,525

2,742

2,732

2,768

2,842

1,244

1,346

1,337

1,235

1,792

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 27

Safety of Driving 10 Miles Over the Speed Limit on Freeways (Q16) by Region and Wave

There are no significant differences between the California regions on the perception of whether it is safe to drive 10 miles over the speed limit

on freeways (Table Q16). The overall distribution of responses between the waves shows no significant differences either.

Table Q16. “Do you think it’s safe to drive 10 miles over the speed limit on freeways?” by region and year

Q16 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Yes

251

119

523

893

913

908

1,023

764

788

879

755

1,110

1,104

30.0%

31.6%

34.5%

32.7%

33.3%

32.8%

35.9%

59.5%

56.9%

65.0%

59.5%

57.5%

59.3%

No

235

109

388

732

715

788

742

337

266

253

275

481

449

28.0%

29.0%

25.6%

26.8%

26.1%

28.5%

26.0%

26.2%

19.2%

18.7%

21.7%

24.9%

24.1%

It Depends

352

148

605

1,105

1,115

1,072

1,087

183

332

220

238

341

309

42.0%

39.4%

39.9%

40.5%

40.6%

38.7%

38.1%

14.3%

24.0%

16.3%

18.8%

17.7%

16.6%

Total

838

376

1,516

2,730

2,743

2,768

2,852

1,284

1,386

1,352

1,268

1,932

1,862

100.0%

Safety of Driving Over the Speed Limit on Residential Streets (Q17) by Region and Wave

Asked whether it is safe to drive above the speed limit on residential streets, 76.7% respondents disagreed. The distribution among California

regions shows no significant differences and no change in perception to previous years (Table Q17).

Table Q17. “Do you think it’s safe to drive over the speed limit on residential streets?” by region and year*

Q17 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Yes

66

36

145

247

259

652

729

506

460

545

465

750

577

7.8%

9.5%

9.0%

9.4%

23.5%

25.6%

39.5%

33.2%

40.3%

36.6%

38.8%

31.0%

No

654

298

1,156

2,108

2,034

1,436

1,476

639

701

598

585

905

978

77.6%

79.0%

75.7%

76.7%

73.9%

51.7%

51.8%

49.8%

50.7%

44.3%

46.1%

46.8%

52.6%

It Depends

123

43

227

393

461

691

643

137

223

208

220

279

306

14.6%

11.4%

14.9%

14.3%

16.7%

24.9%

22.6%

10.7%

16.1%

15.4%

17.3%

14.4%

16.4%

Total

843

377

1,528

2,748

2,754

2,779

2,848

1,282

1,384

1,351

1,270

1,934

1,861

100.0%

*Verbiage changed in 2022. In earlier years, the question was “Do you think it’s safe to drive five miles over the speed limit on residential streets?”

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 28

Chance of Being Ticketed for Driving Over Speed Limit on Residential Streets (Q18) by Region

and Wave

Table Q18 shows the overall distribution of response to perceived chances of getting a ticket for driving over the speed limit on residential

streets. A total of 63.7% California drivers believe it to be “Very Likely” or “Somewhat Likely” to get a ticket for driving over the speed limit on

residential streets. A significantly higher percentage of drivers in Central California (30.9%) believe it to be “Very Likely” to get a ticket for driving

over speed limit on residential streets while a significantly higher number of Northern California drivers believe it to be “Somewhat Unlikely”

(p<0.05).

Table Q18. “What do you think the chances are of getting a ticket if you drive over the speed limit on residential streets?” by region and year*

Q18 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Very Likely

201

116

387

704

645

614

345

267

290

267

398

413

24.0%

30.9%

25.4%

25.7%

23.6%

23.3%

21.6%

27.7%

20.1%

21.6%

21.3%

21.5%

22.5%

Somewhat

Likely

292

144

603

1,039

1,097

1,252

1,315

410

552

484

460

741

691

34.8%

38.3%

39.6%

38.0%

40.1%

45.1%

46.2%

32.9%

41.6%

36.0%

36.7%

40.0%

37.6%

Somewhat

Unlikely

243

82

381

706

667

683

717

354

321

334

341

467

484

29.0%

21.8%

25.0%

25.8%

24.4%

24.6%

25.2%

28.4%

24.2%

24.9%

27.2%

25.2%

26.4%

Very

Unlikely

102

34

152

288

328

194

198

138

186

236

186

245

248

12.2%

9.0%

10.0%

10.5%

12.0%

7.0%

11.1%

14.0%

17.6%

14.8%

13.2%

13.5%

Total

838

376

1,523

2,737

2,774

2,844

1,247

1,326

1,344

1,254

1,851

1,836

100.0%

*In surveys before 2021 this question was not specific to residential streets.

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 29

Perception of Components of Safe System Approach (Safe1)

Survey items based on the Safe System Approach that describe ways to increase safety for all road users, were first introduced in 2022, and

continue to be a part of the 2023 survey (Table Safe1). Respondents were asked to rate the importance of five factors on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1

being “Not Important” and 5 being “Very Important”, to increase safety for all road users. The majority of the respondents rated all five factors

to be “Very Important” to increase safety for all road users, with “Improve safe streets design to design roads that support all road users,

including drivers, pedestrian, bicyclists and transit” being the highest rated factor of all in 2023 (48.7%).

Table Safe1. Rate the importance of the following factors to increase safety for all road users

Safe1 Statements

1-Not

Important

2

3

4

5-Very

Important

2022 1-Not

Important

2022 5-Very

Important

Promote safe speeds and reduce driver speeds to reduce injury

severity for all road users

88

161

561

791

1,176

79

1,378

3.2%

5.8%

20.2%

28.5%

42.3%

2.9%

50.7%

Improve safe streets design to design roads that support all road

users, including drivers, pedestrian, bicyclists and transit

78

142

463

742

1,353

45

1,551

2.8%

5.1%

16.7%

26.7%

48.7%

1.7%

57.0%

Expand awareness of safe walking, biking, and rolling

83

171

549

806

1,169

72

1,323

3.0%

6.1%

19.8%

29.0%

42.1%

2.6%

48.7%

Provide physical and emotional care to crash survivors and their

families

135

197

678

719

1,048

88

1,254

4.9%

7.1%

24.4%

25.9%

37.7%

3.2%

46.2%

Support communities to plan for safe streets and public areas

78

165

538

904

1,093

64

1,312

2.8%

5.9%

19.4%

32.6%

39.3%

2.3%

48.3%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 30

Most Important Factor Resulting in Traffic Injuries/Fatalities (Safe2) by Region

Another Safe System Approach based question, introduced in 2022, asked the respondents’ opinion about the most important factor resulting in

traffic injuries/fatalities. Table Safe2 shows the response distribution by California region as well as a comparison with the 2022 data. There is no

significant difference between California regions, as well as compared to the 2022 responses. “Driver behavior” was reported to be the most

important factor by more than half of California drivers (54.1%), following by “Speeding vehicles” which was mentioned by about a quarter of

respondents (25.4%).

Table Safe2. “In your opinion, what is the most important factor resulting in traffic injuries/fatalities?” by region

Safe2 by Region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Driver behavior

459

209

814

1,482

1,446

54.4%

55.4%

53.6%

54.1%

52.9%

Speeding vehicles

201

91

405

697

723

23.8%

24.1%

26.7%

25.4%

26.4%

Lack of enforcement

65

32

110

207

212

7.7%

8.5%

7.2%

7.6%

7.8%

Roadway conditions

44

21

76

141

156

5.2%

5.6%

5.0%

5.1%

5.7%

Lack of sidewalks/bike

lanes/crossing opportunities

34

9

49

92

96

4.0%

2.4%

3.2%

3.4%

3.5%

Lack of speed limit/road signages

26

14

49

89

90

3.1%

3.7%

3.2%

3.3%

Other (Uncoded)

14

1

16

31

12

1.7%

0.3%

1.1%

0.4%

Total

843

377

1,519

2,739

2,735

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 31

Main Form of Transportation (Q19) by Region

Another survey question, introduced in 2022, asked respondents about their main form of transportation in a typical week, with a single-choice

answer. A majority of California drivers reported driving as their typical mode of transport (79.8%), with drivers in Southern California reporting

a slightly higher percentage of mostly driving as compared to Northern and Central California (77.1% and 80.5%, respectively). A statistically

significant difference was the higher number of respondents “Mostly Ride a Motorcycle/Scooter” in Central California compared to the other

two regions (p<0.05, Table Q19_1).

Table Q19_1. “In a typical week, what is your main form of transportation?” by region

Q19 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Mostly Drive

647

306

1,238

2,191

2,252

77.1%

80.5%

81.1%

79.8%

82.3%

Mostly Walk

68

19

129

216

207

8.1%

5.0%

8.5%

7.9%

7.6%

Mostly Ride a Bike

29

15

46

90

79

3.5%

3.9%

3.0%

3.3%

2.9%

Mostly Ride a Motorcycle/Scooter

15

16

29

60

44

1.8%

4.2%

1.9%

2.2%

1.6%

Mostly take Public Transit

46

13

52

111

95

5.5%

3.4%

4.0%

3.5%

Mostly use Ride Share Services/Taxis/Ride as

passenger

32

10

25

63

56

3.8%

2.6%

1.6%

2.3%

2.0%

Other

2

1

7

14

4

0.2%

0.3%

0.5%

0.1%

Total

839

380

1,526

2,745

2,737

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 32

Perception of Legality for Bicyclists on Roadways (Q20) by Region and Wave

When asked whether they believe it to be legal for bicyclists to ride on roadways when there is no bike lake, more than two thirds of the

respondents (68.0%) confirmed this (Table Q20), similar to the 2022 findings.

Table Q20. “Do you think it is legal for bicyclists to ride on roadways when there is no bike lane?” by region and year

Q20 by

region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Total

2017

Total

2016

Total

2015

Total

2014

Yes

589

235

995

1,819

1,824

1,698

1,764

993

984

956

838

1,260

1,204

71.5%

64.2%

67.0%

68.0%

68.2%

62.2%

63.0%

80.2%

73.8%

72.2%

68.0%

68.6%

68.7%

No

235

131

490

856

852

1,034

1,038

245

349

369

395

577

549

28.5%

35.8%

33.0%

32.0%

31.8%

37.8%

37.0%

19.8%

26.2%

27.8%

32.0%

31.4%

31.3%

Total

824

366

1,485

2,675

2,676

2,732

2,802

1,238

1,333

1,325

1,233

1,837

1,753

100.0%

Level of Comfort Sharing Road with Bicyclists with Bike Lanes (Q21) by Region and Wave

Table Q21 describes the responses to the level of comfort with sharing the road with bicyclists when there is a bike lane. Overall, a total of 64.2%

of California drivers stated they are “Very Comfortable” or “Somewhat Comfortable” sharing the road with bicyclists, with a similar distribution

among regions, as well as compared to previous waves.

Table Q21. “When driving, how comfortable are you with sharing the road with bicyclists when there IS a bike lane?” by region and year

Q21 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Very Comfortable

234

111

436

781

818

986

1,034

570

634

27.9%

29.4%

28.7%

28.6%

29.8%

35.7%

36.2%

45.1%

46.3%

Somewhat

Comfortable

304

126

544

974

972

1,004

1,045

395

369

36.2%

33.3%

35.8%

35.6%

35.4%

36.3%

36.6%

31.3%

27.0%

Somewhat

Uncomfortable

200

90

341

631

615

529

506

171

205

23.8%

22.5%

23.1%

22.4%

19.1%

17.7%

13.5%

15.0%

Very

Uncomfortable

101

51

197

349

337

246

269

127

160

12.0%

13.5%

13.0%

12.8%

12.3%

8.9%

9.4%

10.1%

11.7%

Total

839

378

1,518

2,735

2,742

2,765

2,854

1,263

1,368

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 33

Level of Comfort Sharing Road with Bicyclists when Driving (Q22) by Region

Another survey item that was added in 2022, and continued in 2023, asked about specific situations when the respondent would feel most

comfortable sharing the road with bicyclists when driving. The respondent could only choose one answer. The distribution of responses across

the California regions as well as comparison to 2022 data are shown in Table Q22. More than half of the respondents (54.5%) reported to be

most comfortable “When there is a protected bike lane divider”, with a similar distribution between California regions. The response pattern is

also very similar to 2022, with no significant differences between the years.

Table Q22. “In what situation would you feel most comfortable sharing the road with bicyclists when driving?” by region

Q22 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

When there is a protected bike lane divider

452

192

839

1,483

1,538

53.7%

52.0%

55.5%

54.5%

56.4%

Where there is a bike lane with painted dividers

279

129

478

886

857

33.2%

35.0%

31.6%

32.6%

31.4%

Where there is no bike lane at all

50

23

84

157

137

5.9%

6.2%

5.6%

5.8%

5.0%

Other

5

3

9

17

19

0.6%

0.8%

0.6%

0.7%

I don’t feel comfortable sharing the road with

bicyclists under any circumstance

55

22

101

178

176

6.5%

6.0%

6.7%

6.5%

Total

841

369

1,511

2,721

2,727

100.0%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 34

Safety Problems Experienced as Pedestrian or Bicyclist (Q23)

Safety problems experienced as a pedestrian or bicyclist in the last six months was asked as a multiple-choice question. The responses are

outlined in Table Q23_1, in order of most frequently reported responses. Consistent with previous years, “Cars going too fast” remains the most

frequently stated responses, with more than half of the drivers (57.1%) mentioning it. This was followed by “Cars not stopping” mentioned by

53.0% drivers, and “Distracted drivers using cell phones” as mentioned by 40.8% of the respondents.

Table Q23_1. Frequencies by percent of answers and percent of drivers

Q23 all answers combined

Count

% of

Answers

% of

Drivers

Cars going too fast

1,562

21.5%

57.1%

Cars not stopping

1,449

20.0%

53.0%

Distracted drivers using cell phones

1,117

15.4%

40.8%

Lots of traffic

756

10.4%

27.6%

Almost getting hit by car or bike*

711

9.8%

26.0%

Lack of sidewalks or bike lanes

707

9.8%

25.8%

Bicyclists not stopping

617

8.5%

22.5%

None of the above

162

2.2%

5.9%

Have not been a pedestrian/bicyclist in

the last 6 months

140

1.9%

5.1%

All Other Responses Combined

29

0.4%

1.1%

Total

7,250

100.0%

265.0%

*Almost getting hit by a car” in 2020 and earlier surveys

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 35

Safety Problems Experienced as Pedestrian or Bicyclist (Q23) by Region and Wave

The distribution of responses about the safety problems experienced as a pedestrian or bicyclist by California region, as well as comparison with

previous years’ data (Table Q23_2) show no significant differences between the regions, or the years.

Table Q23_2. “Think of the times you have been a pedestrian or bicyclist in the last 6 months. What safety problems did you experience, if

any?” by region and year

Q23 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Cars going too fast

486

207

869

1,562

1,581

1,507

1,598

336

239

21.8%

21.3%

21.5%

21.7%

20.2%

20.7%

17.7%

12.3%

Cars not stopping

458

196

795

1,449

1,479

1,337

1,403

432

336

20.6%

20.7%

19.5%

20.0%

20.3%

17.9%

18.1%

22.8%

17.3%

Distracted drivers using cell phones

314

153

649

1,117

1,114

1,057

1,246

348

426

14.1%

16.2%

15.9%

15.4%

15.3%

14.2%

16.1%

18.4%

21.9%

Lots of traffic

227

99

430

756

750

819

791

98

106

10.2%

10.5%

10.6%

10.4%

10.3%

11.0%

10.2%

5.2%

5.5%

Almost getting hit by a car or bike**

213

84

415

711

698

742

741

197

185

9.6%

8.8%

10.2%

9.8%

9.6%

10.0%

9.6%

10.4%

9.5%

Lack of sidewalks or bike lanes*

217

96

394

707

705

914

858

37

52

9.8%

10.2%

9.7%

9.8%

9.7%

12.3%

11.1%

2.0%

2.7%

Bicyclists not stopping

217

71

329

617

609

644

718

69

67

9.7%

7.5%

8.1%

8.5%

8.4%

8.6%

9.3%

3.6%

3.5%

None of the above

41

22

99

162

174

385

320

308

352

1.8%

2.3%

2.4%

2.2%

2.4%

5.2%

4.1%

16.3%

18.1%

Have not been a pedestrian/bicyclist in

the last 6 months

38

20

82

140

143

15

--

1.7%

2.1%

2.0%

1.9%

2.0%

0.2%

All Other Responses Combined

16

1

11

29

30

32

62

55

162

0.7%

0.1%

0.3%

0.4%

0.6%

2.9%

8.4%

Total

2,226

950

4,074

7,250

7,282

7,451

7,736

1,894

1,942

100.0%

*”Lack of sidewalks” in 2020 and earlier surveys

**”Almost getting hit by a car” in 2020 and earlier surveys

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 36

Safety Problems Experienced as Driver around Pedestrians and Bicyclists (Q24)

When asked about the safety problems experienced as a driver around pedestrians and bicyclists, more than half of respondents (50.9%) stated

“Pedestrians not using crosswalks” (Table Q24_1), three most frequently mentioned answers highlighted). This was followed by “Pedestrians

stepping off curb without looking”, mentioned by 45.6% of drivers, and “Bicyclists not stopping at stop signs or traffic lights” (41.9%).

Table Q24_1. Frequencies Q24 by percent of answers and percent of drivers

Q24 all answers combined

Count

% of

Answers

% of

Drivers

Pedestrians not using crosswalks

1,384

18.0%

50.9%

Pedestrians stepping off curb without looking

1,240

16.1%

45.6%

Bicyclists not stopping at stop signs or traffic

lights

1,140

14.8%

41.9%

Pedestrians/bicyclists distracted behavior

(phones, ear pods, headsets)

1,051

13.7%

38.7%

Pedestrians/bicyclists not being visible enough

970

12.6%

35.7%

Bicyclists being in the road or blocking traffic

857

11.1%

31.5%

Lack of sidewalks or bike lanes

816

10.6%

30.0%

None of the above

212

2.7%

7.8%

All Other Responses Combined

26

0.3%

1.0%

Total

7,695

100.0%

283.1%

CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC SAFETY SURVEY 2023 DATA ANALYSIS 37

Safety Problems Experienced as Driver around Pedestrians and Bicyclists (Q24) by Region and

Wave

Table Q24_2 outlines the responses to the survey item about safety problems experienced as a driver around pedestrians and bicyclists across

California regions and previous waves. The distribution of responses between regions, as well as between the years, show no significant

differences.

Table Q24_2. “Think of the times you have been a DRIVER around pedestrians or bicyclists in the last 6 months. What safety problems did you

experience, if any?” by region and year

Q24 by region

Northern

California

Central

California

Southern

California

Total

2023

Total

2022

Total

2021

Total

2020

Total

2019

Total

2018

Pedestrians not using crosswalks

429

193

762

1,384

1,261

1,548

1,612

300

294

18.1%

18.2%

17.9%

18.0%

17.9%

18.2%

18.5%

15.2%

14.8%

Pedestrians stepping off curb without

looking

389

170

680

1,240

1,086

1,399

1,453

321

179

16.4%

16.0%

16.1%

15.4%

16.4%

16.7%

16.2%

9.0%

Bicyclists not stopping at stop signs or

traffic lights

366

152

622

1,140

1,049

1,255

1,385

321

179

15.4%

14.3%

14.6%

14.8%

14.9%

14.7%

15.9%

10.7%

10.6%

Pedestrians/bicyclists distracted behavior

(phones, ear pods, headsets)

327

151

574

1,051

902

1,087

1,174

332

264

13.8%

14.2%

13.5%

13.7%

12.8%

13.5%

16.8%

13.3%

Pedestrians/bicyclists not being visible

enough

303

135

532

970

838

1,117

1,143

194

169

12.8%

12.7%

12.5%

12.6%

11.9%

13.1%

9.8%

8.5%

Bicyclists being in the road or blocking

traffic

247

124

485

857

871

960

1,047

269

187

10.4%

11.7%

11.4%

11.1%

12.4%

11.3%

12.0%

13.6%

9.4%

Lack of sidewalks or bike lanes*

240

101

475

816

757

905

652

38

108

10.2%

9.5%

11.1%

10.6%

10.8%

10.6%

7.5%

1.9%

5.5%

None of the above

60

35

117

212

238

221

223

242

356

2.5%

3.3%

2.7%

3.4%

2.6%

12.2%

18.0%

All Other Responses Combined

6

3

17

26

29

12

36

47

76

0.3%

0.2%

0.4%

0.3%

0.4%

0.1%

0.4%

2.4%

3.8%

Total

2,367

1,064

4,264

7,695

7,032

8,516

8,725

1,979

1,942

100.0%

*”Lack of sidewalks or clear crosswalks” in 2020 survey