It’s Drivers, Not the Road, Officers Say

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO —  Ortega Highway has earned a reputation as one of the state’s most treacherous highways, yet the prime cause of accidents is the motorist, not the road, officials from various state and county agencies maintain.

“Everybody likes to blame Ortega Highway . . . but it’s not the road’s fault,” said Ken Daily, a California Highway Patrol spokesman at the CHP’s office here.

He cited a host of reasons for accidents, including drivers who are inattentive or drunk; more traffic than the road was built to handle, and daredevil drivers who foolishly test their skills on the winding mountain route.

A crash on Ortega Highway Wednesday claimed three lives, pushing to five the number of traffic fatalities this year. A man suspected of drunk driving lost control of his pickup truck on the winding, two-lane road. The truck flipped several times and all five passengers were thrown from the vehicle.

Three hours earlier, a tractor-trailer jackknifed and tipped over on another stretch of Ortega Highway, forcing officials to partially close the road. There were no injuries in that accident.

“The problem is these highways are filled with twists and turns, in addition to the higher volume of cars because people are using them more as alternative routes,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Albert Miranda.

Additionally, the winding character of rural roads has made them popular with sports car and motorcycle enthusiasts, Daily said.

Daily said the CHP has received complaints from residents in the rural community of El Cariso on Ortega Highway in Riverside County about a group of reckless motorcyclists.

“They were holding time trials . . . racing against the clock along the entire 32-mile stretch of highway,” Daily said. “We decided to raid the area to stop the racing, but word leaked out after we invited the media. It’s only a matter of time before one of them ends up in an accident.”

On some highways, the state recommends that motorists turn their headlights on for greater visibility. Daily said this is mandatory for both Ortega Highway and Laguna Canyon Road, and along Santiago Canyon Road near Irvine Lake in Orange, although state studies have not supported the program’s effectiveness.

CHP Officer Linda Burris, citing accident investigation reports, has found that motorists who use Santiago Canyon Road are not accustomed to driving on a two-lane highway. So when they start using such a road as a shortcut, they are not as attentive and alert as they need to be.

Daily added: “Ortega has always had a reputation and the state is in the process of widening the road. But it was never meant to be a big highway. It’s over 50 years old and it’s being used as a main artery. Until we get something better, we’re stuck with it.”