SR-91 — America's Most Congested Freeway
The SR-91 runs from Downtown Riverside west through Corona, through the Anaheim Hills express lanes, and into Anaheim and Buena Park. At its most congested point — the 91/241 interchange area in Orange County — it regularly tops national congestion rankings. The combination of enormous daily volume, complex interchange geometry, and the sharp geographic transition from mountains to flat basin creates constant crash conditions.
The SR-91 corridor is also notorious for late-night street racing between the IE and OC — a significant source of DUI and reckless driving crashes, particularly on weekends and early mornings.
SR-91 Crash Hotspots
SR-91 / I-15 Interchange (Corona)
One of the highest-volume interchanges in Southern California. Complex weave zones and heavy commuter traffic create constant rear-end and lane-change crashes.
SR-91 Express Lanes (Anaheim Hills)
Narrow lane widths, high speeds in express lanes adjacent to general purpose traffic, and merge points at express lane entrances/exits generate significant crash risk.
SR-91 through Riverside
High-volume section serving UC Riverside and downtown. Dense on/off ramp spacing and commuter-heavy morning/evening patterns.
SR-91 / SR-71 Interchange
Complex connector between 91 and Chino Hills. Frequent late-merge, wrong-lane, and missed-exit crashes from drivers unfamiliar with the interchange.
SR-91 Express Lane Crashes — Who Is Liable?
The SR-91 Express Lanes (tolled lanes operated by RCTC through ATC) create unique liability questions. If a crash occurred in or at the boundary of the express lanes and was caused in part by a toll system malfunction, inadequate lane design, or insufficient access point warnings, both the private operator and Caltrans may share liability. These cases require immediate evidence preservation.