In the state of California, over 250,000 motor vehicle accidents result in injuries each year. Modesto accounts for more than 1,200 of those, a significantly large percentage considering its relatively small population of 218,915.

So, what’s causing this high number of damaging car accidents? Modesto is a city with crisscrossing streets that are actually extensions of highways. Three major highways travel through town: state routes 99, 108, and 132. While Modesto has plenty of safe drivers, traffic can definitely get out of hand, and the more drivers incorporated into the city, the more chance of vehicular accidents.

Another cause of this high car accident statistic is the presence of reckless driving. While Modesto has plenty of defensive drivers, not every motorist uses caution while traversing the city, and when the cautious meets the reckless, people sometimes get hurt.

Local Highways Make a Difference in Accident Rates

Additionally, with Modesto being home to three highways that serve as vital arteries for trucking in the state of California, traffic collisions with larger vehicles can also pose a problem. It’s common for trucks from retail and e-commerce giants to travel along 99, 108, and 132, and with motorists sometimes having to navigate around and through tractor-trailer blind spots, accidents can be expected. In fact, in Stanislaus County alone, there were 302 motor vehicle accidents along State Route 99 during 2023.

A recent analysis of data from California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) shows the high number of accidents each year in Modesto. Year-by-year accidents in the Modesto area have fluctuated greatly between the 2019 to 2023 period. For example, starting in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the number of accidents that resulted in injury was 1,467, which was the high for the next five years.

As time progressed and Modesto went into lockdown for the pandemic, the number dropped to 1,218 in 2020, rose to 1,423 and 1,455 in 2021 and 2023, and settled to about 1,297 in 2023. While 2024’s data hasn’t been published yet, numbers are still higher than most would prefer. When averaging out the number of accidents between the years of 2019 and 2023, you reach the somewhat sobering number of 1,327 accidents.

How many of these resulted in vehicular fatalities? About 14 people were killed as a result of a crash in the year 2019, another 19 in 2020, 21 in 2021, 19 in 2022, and 20 in 2023. That’s nearly 100 people within a five-year period.

Hispanic Drivers Make Up a Large Percentage of Accident Victims

TIMS data points to another stark statistic: Hispanic drivers are experiencing higher levels of motor vehicle accidents within Modesto. Since 2021, about 93 car accidents have occurred, affecting Modesto’s Hispanic drivers or passengers. While motor vehicle-related deaths have topped out at six since 2021, at least 413 accidents have occurred that resulted in non-fatal injuries.

Even more telling of issues facing Hispanic drivers is the state-wide stats: within the last decade, 11,397 Hispanic victims were killed in auto accidents. This number accounts for about 35% of the on-road fatalities within the state over that period of time.

What Does This Mean for 2025?

While the 2024 and, of course, 2025 stats have yet to be published, we can only hope that car accident rates are lower for both Hispanic and non-Hispanic Modesto residents. It’s unfortunate that the city has been experiencing such a high percentage of vehicular accidents. Hopefully, both reactive and defensive drivers will help to reduce the number of accidents so that more Modesto residents can make it home safe and sound.