Insurance Savings App “Jerry” Finds High Fatality Rate In Kern
A new road safety study by car insurance savings app Jerry reveals Kern County has more than double the amount of fentanyl-related traffic fatalities per capita than any other county in the state. A more detailed breakdown plus additional key findings include:
- Kern county has the most fentanyl-related traffic fatalities per capita (1.54), more than double that of any other in the state. Riverside County (0.70) and Sacramento County (0.69) round out the top three.
- Kern County also has the most fatal crashes involving drinking per capita (at 27). Stanislaus County (at 22) and San Joaquin County (20) trail behind.
- The county is also home to the most fatal crashes involving a pedestrian per capita (at 19.0). San Bernardino County (at 18.6) and Fresno County (18.2) follow.
- In an analysis of the county’s total fatal crashes, 29.8% involve drinking, 8.3% involve drugs and 2.3% involve extreme speed.
Across the state of California, the deadliest days and hours for driving are:
- Saturday (3,073 total fatalities), Sunday (2,965), Friday (2,822)
- 9 p.m. (1,144 total fatalities), 8 p.m. (1,124), and 7 p.m. (1,085)
Jerry analyzed 2017-2021 traffic fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data on fentanyl tests were available from 2018 through 2021.
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