Folsom has ‘aggressive driving’ higher than state average. This plan is trying to fix that
Aggressive driving on Folsom streets is a factor for its higher rates of traffic collisions compared to the national average, and now the city has a plan.
Last month, the city of Folsom looked at its Local Road Safety Plan, which identifies intersections and roadway segments seen as “high risk,” according to the city’s website. The plan’s latest update has newer data from 2020 to 2023. During that span, Folsom saw 2,000 car crashes caused by unsafe speeding, according to the plan.
As a way to prevent collisions, the city created the plan which pin points factors that cause crashes and where they occur most. The main focus of the plan is to address the most severe crash patterns in the city. The plan will provide instruction on “safety investments,” that will prevent serious injuries, said Zachary Bosch, senior civil engineer for the city of Folsom, during a City Council meeting on Feb. 11.
“This means prioritizing high speed crash locations, vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and intersections or corridors with a history of severe collisions,” Bosch said. “While this plan may not address every traffic related complaint that we receive, it provides a structured and proactive approach to making Folsom roads safer for everyone.”
Zachary Ramalingam, a civil analyst with design consultant group Kimley-Horn, said these solutions focus on averting fatal and severe injuries. The most common crash types were rear ends, broadsides and the hitting of an object, Ramalingam added.
The Local Road Safety Plan identified crashes caused by aggressive and impaired driving were among the highest.
These causes not only occur at a significant rate in Folsom, but are higher than average in California, the plan found. Aggressive driving, like speeding, is the cause of 53% crashes in Folsom with 33% as the state’s average. Impaired driving causes 39% of crashes in Folsom compared to 43% across the state, according to data in the resolution.
In Sacramento County, there were more than 1,700 car collisions in 2024, according to the Sacramento Area Council of Government’s collision dashboard. Sixteen residents have died in Folsom due to vehicle accidents from 2020 to 2025, according to data from the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.
In the plan’s outreach phase, speeding, the running of red lights, distracted driving, pedestrian and bicycle safety were among the top concerns from more than 400 survey respondents. The street “traffic congestion” on East Bidwell Street was also identified as a frequent concern. Other roads with a significant number of crashes included Greenback Lane, Folsom Lake Crossing, Prairie City Road and Folsom-Auburn Road.
Ramalingam clarified during the meeting that “unsafe speed,” a term used throughout the study, is not a direct reference to solely speeding illegally. Unsafe speed driving refers to operating a vehicle that is unsafe to the area’s “current condition,” which entails roadway congestion or not driving safely alongside construction, Ramalingam explained.
The plan also recommends Folsom implement the following changes to prevent future crashes.
▪ The city of Folsom will create enforcement strategies and educational campaigns focused on aggressive driving. The design of roadways will also go through an “improvement.”
▪ Analyze crashes caused by lane departures and implement countermeasures like shoulder widening, improved lane markings and rumble strips.
▪ Improve crosswalks, sight distances and signal timing.
▪ Start an education program focused on youth and “aging drivers.”
The study cost the city $80,000, said Mark Rackovan, Folsom’s public works director, which was partly covered by grants. The cost of the plan’s implementation is uncertain, Rackovan said.
“It depends on what’s being requested ... and what are the criteria for the grant. But generally, it is heavily federally funded with little local match,” Rackovan said.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 11:30 AM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly identify Zachary Ramalingam, a civil analyst with design consultant group Kimley-Horn.
