Traffic data: Oakland's International Blvd. among deadliest roads in Bay Area
Newly released data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that was analyzed by the Bay Area News Group shows which surface streets in the Bay Area are the most dangerous.
One of the deadliest streets is International Boulevard in Oakland. From 2002 to 2022, there were 57 traffic-related fatalities on that stretch of road.
Many people in the area said they aren't surprised.
An ambulance screams down International Boulevard after a car ran a red light Wednesday, broadsiding Keith Warren's sedan. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.
"My light was green, I went, didn't see the car coming, they smacked the left side of me, I hit another truck, airbag deployed, bumper gone, headlight gone," Warren told CBS News Bay Area.
Warren lives and works in Oakland and was driving home from work when the crash happened.
He banged up his leg but considers himself lucky. Warren said he has seen some really bad crashes on International due to reckless driving.
"I grew up out here, since I was a kid. So hard, so I know how it gets. There's no room for stupidity and people who don't know how to drive to be driving," said Warren.
According to the data analyzed by the Bay Area News Group, International Boulevard averages about three traffic fatalities a year and peaked at seven fatalities in 2017.
Those numbers that don't surprise Salvador Murgia, who owns an auto repair shop right along the boulevard.
"I see it every day. People drive so fast. It's just scary sometimes," he told CBS News Bay Area.
Murgia says it's not uncommon to see cars going 70 miles per hour or more down International, where the speed limit is just 25 miles per hour.
"I mean, I've seen them drive crazy fast and expect to hear the ambulance later on because somebody is going to get killed or get hurt really bad," says Murgia.
Oakland City Council Member Noel Gallo says he thinks people drive recklessly on International because they feel like they can get away with it. During the middle of an interview with CBS News Bay Area, Gallo pointed out someone making an illegal U-turn.
"This, Fruitvale is getting, look at this guy right here. What's he doing? Look what he's doing. He's backing up. Now why does he have the chance to do that? What the hell making a U turn and all that," said Gallo, pointing at the driver making the maneuver.
Gallo wants to add more motorcycle officers to the department to specifically work on traffic enforcement, but said with the budget issues, that might not be possible.
He said one solution would be installing red light and speed cameras, which would provide that enforcement without significant added cost to the department.
"You're not supposed to speed and run red lights and you've got to adhere to the laws we have in place and that's what's missing right now," he says.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to the Oakland Police Department for comment about their plan for enforcement along International Boulevard in an effort to reduce the number of fatalities, but no one responded to our request as of Wednesday afternoon.
Some of the other areas the Bay Area News Group identified that are also especially dangerous are El Camino Real on the peninsula, along with Monterey Road between San Jose and Gilroy.
