GRIDLOCK SAVES LIVES CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC AMONG LEAST DANGEROUS.

Byline: Alexa Haussler Staff Writer

Believe it or not, sitting in Los Angeles traffic may be beneficial to your health.

Despite its national reputation as a tangle of freeways packed with cell- phone wielding, gun-toting drivers, California's roads rank as the fourth safest in the nation, according to a study to be published this week by the National Safety Council.

And that, some say, is a result of gridlock.

``In heavily populated areas, there's a lot more traffic on the highways, so it's harder to drive fast,'' said National Safety Council spokesman Joe Larkin. ``And there tend to be more emergency facilities available so drivers can get treated right away.''

With 1.1 traffic deaths per 100 million vehicle miles, California tied with Rhode Island as the fourth safest state, despite a dismal showing for most other Western states.

``It really is an anomaly in the West,'' Larkin said.

The council, a national nonprofit membership group, is scheduled to publish the numbers next week in an annual report on nonintentional injuries and deaths. The study found that the Northeast is the safest chunk of the nation, while sprawling Western states - many with open highways and higher speed limits - generally are the least safe.

Massachusetts rated as the safest state - averaging 0.8 deaths per 100 million miles traveled last year - compared with a national average of 1.5 deaths.

Mississippi ranked worst, with the most deaths - 2.7 per 100 million miles. Arizona, Montana and Wyoming all ranked among the worst with more than 2 deaths per 100 million miles.

Allen Lawrence, a San Fernando Valley businessman and member of the state Transportation Commission, said California's ranking ``pleasantly surprised'' him.

He said the state has poured money into improving its highways and into programs to help reduce poor driving.

``There is an emphasis on improving the system and transportation infrastructure so it is safer and gets more safe all the time,'' Lawrence said. ``At the top there is tremendous motivation to improve safety and congestion relief.''

California Highway Patrol Deputy Commissioner Bill Carlson said his agency works to educate the public about taking safety measures such as using seat belts and having a designated driver.

``We just really try to focus as an organization on the types of things that cause people to be hurt or killed,'' Carlson said.

He said California has a lower blood-alcohol limit than some other states - at 0.08 percent - and has a high rate of drivers and passengers who wear seat belts. He said the state usually ranks high in traffic safety studies, but ``there's still too many people that die each year.''

Gabriel Akchy, a limousine driver for All-American Limousine Services in Los Angeles, said he wasn't surprised by the study's findings.

``I used to drive around the world, and this is probably the safest place to drive,'' he said. ``In Europe, it's pretty tough.''

Nancy Cora, who works in a Sherman Oaks insurance office, chuckled at news of the state's ranking.

``I am surprised, just from seeing people drive on a daily basis,'' she said. ``I have a window view of people just driving out of our office, and it's surprising some of the things they do.''

Plus, Cora said, ``Sometimes I've had to swerve out of the way of other drivers who aren't paying attention. They are talking on their cell phone or putting makeup on.''

She said she would have guessed California would have ranked lower than the more rural states.

``People in other areas seem to be a little more friendly, courteous,'' she said. ``In California, people are always in a rush to get from Point A to Point B.''