Encino, California Road Safety Overview

As a neighborhood of Los Angeles, Encino is often included with the rest of the city when discussing traffic and road safety. While the CA-101 and I-405 see their fair share of collisions, injuries, and fatalities, the neighborhood has relatively safe roads elsewhere.

However, Los Angeles had over 10,000 car accidents in 2023, according to the statewide summary statistics from the Transportation Information Mapping System (TIMS). Even in a safer neighborhood like Encino, you may still have a significant risk of crashing compared to less populated areas of California. Here is what you need to know about road safety in Encino.

Encino Crash Statistics

California does not separate Encino’s crash statistics from those for the rest of Los Angeles. However, by looking at the entire metro area, you can identify some trends and tendencies that apply to this neighborhood.

Los Angeles had 10,401 traffic accidents in 2023. These collisions included:

• 1,230 pedestrian accidents
• 869 motorcycle accidents
• 354 bicycle accidents

The city had 8,817 vehicle accidents that year, including 7,479 multi-vehicle crashes and 1,338 single-vehicle crashes. The most common type of single-vehicle crash occurred when a vehicle hit a fixed object like a sign, bridge support, or guardrail.

Only a fraction of these collisions happened in Encino. About 47,000 residents live in the neighborhood, while Los Angeles as a whole has a population of nearly 3.9 million. Thus, only about 1.2% of the city’s residents live in Encino, so you can estimate that roughly 1% of Los Angeles crashes happen in the neighborhood.

Crash Outcomes in Encino

Across the city, you can calculate a fatal crash rate of 7.6 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents and an injury crash rate of 375.8 traffic injuries per 100,000 residents. The death rate is significantly less than the national average of 12.8 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents. This means that despite the high number of crashes, the city has few fatalities.

The city’s outcomes for injury crashes include the following:

• About 2% of crash victims suffer a fatal injury
• 11% suffer a serious injury that requires ambulance transport to a hospital
• 29% suffer a minor, visible injury that does not require hospital transport
• 58% complain of pain or other symptoms but have no visible wound

Keep in mind that these numbers include all crashes. When you focus on collisions with pedestrians and bicycles, the percentage of serious and fatal injuries increases because these vulnerable road users have no protection in a crash. In 2023, 9.5% of pedestrians and 3.8% of cyclists hit by cars in the L.A. metro area died.

Dangerous Times To Drive in Encino

The most dangerous times to drive in Encino happen during the afternoon commute on weekdays and late Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Specifically, on weekdays, crashes peak between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. These accidents do not necessarily result from afternoon traffic. However, crowded roads are often less forgiving of careless driving.

On weekends, crashes peak between 6 p.m. Saturday and 3 a.m. Sunday. These collisions often result from drowsy or intoxicated drivers combined with L.A.’s notorious late-night traffic congestion.

Where Crashes Happen

In Encino, most serious crashes happen on the neighborhood’s busiest roads and highways. Highways 405 and 101 account for most crashes. 

Other locations of collisions in Encino include:

• Ventura Blvd.
• Hayvenhurst Ave. between Burbank Blvd. and Ventura Blvd.
• Newcastle Ave., south of Highway 101
• Lindley Ave. between Burbank Blvd. and Ventura Blvd.

Unfortunately, these roads and highways are the neighborhood’s major routes. As a result, you probably cannot avoid driving on these roads.

Common Causes of Collisions in Encino, CA

Most collisions in Encino result from preventable driving behaviors. Some of the most common causes of traffic accidents include the following:

Speeding

Speeding is the top cause of crashes in Encino, causing over 25% of traffic accidents. Speeding can happen when a driver exceeds the speed limit or travels too fast for the traffic, road, or weather conditions. This violation reduces the time the driver has to react to other road users. It also increases the odds that the driver will lose control of their vehicle.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving happens when multitasking takes your eyes, hands, or focus away from driving. As a result, you might not see the road or traffic hazards ahead of you. Even if you see them, you might not be able to react in time to avoid a crash. 

Some common activities that can distract you include:

• Texting
• Talking to passengers or on your phone
• Eating or drinking
• Reaching for a dropped object
• Adjusting a navigation system or stereo

Distracted driving probably causes more crashes than reported. Most distractions leave little evidence behind for crash investigators.

Failing To Yield the Right of Way

Most intersection collisions result from a failure to yield the right of way. The right-of-way rules are specifically designed to prevent vehicles from hitting each other by proceeding through the intersection out of turn. 

This violation can happen in the following ways:

• Failing to yield to pedestrians or cyclists in crosswalks
• Turning left in front of an oncoming vehicle
• Turning right into the path of an approaching vehicle
• Proceeding through a two- or four-way stop out of turn
• Neglecting to slow down or stop at a yield sign

These violations disrupt the expectations of other road users. For example, you do not expect a driver to turn left across your path when you lack the time and distance to stop safely.

Disobeying Stop Signs and Signals

A related violation happens when drivers disobey a stop sign or red light. This violation can result in side-impact collisions. Depending on the speed of the vehicles, this type of collision can cause serious injuries because the impact force can cause the door to collapse and crush the vehicle’s occupants.

Driving Safely on Encino’s Roads

Other than Highways 405 and 101, Encino’s roads are relatively safe. Although crashes cluster on Ventura Blvd. and a few other roads, you can reduce your risk of injury by slowing down, putting your phone away, and driving defensively through intersections. With a bit of care, you can navigate the neighborhood’s roads safely.