Los Angeles County alone accounts for nearly 300 pedestrian deaths in one year, highlighting a statewide infrastructure crisis.
GLENDALE, CA, UNITED STATES, February 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ —
Key findings:
• In 2023, 7,318 pedestrians were killed nationwide, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
• California is leading the nation in pedestrian fatalities in 2023, with 1,057 deaths.
• Los Angeles County stands apart, with 293 deaths in 2023 and 1,470 deaths over five years, more than several counties combined.
• The environment, not individual behavior, drives pedestrian risk in California.
• Street design is the dominant factor in pedestrian deaths.
• Counties with similar population levels experience vastly different fatality rates depending on roadway design and infrastructure quality.
• Fast suburban arterials, rural highways, and incomplete sidewalk networks consistently place pedestrians in harm’s way.
• Nighttime conditions dramatically increase the likelihood of fatal crashes.
• Lower-income communities face a higher risk due to underinvestment, higher walking rates, and limited safety infrastructure.
• Vision Zero adoption without concrete implementation has failed to change outcomes in many counties.
• Unsafe streets undermine climate and walkability goals across the state.
• Local authorities can significantly reduce pedestrian deaths by focusing on proven, corridor-level fixes, redesigning high-speed arterials, improving lighting, managing speed, investing in underserved neighborhoods, ensuring safe access to transit, and holding themselves publicly accountable for measurable safety outcomes.
KJT Law Group released a new in-depth case study, Top 20 Most Dangerous Counties for Pedestrians in California, revealing alarming patterns behind the state’s persistent leadership in pedestrian fatalities. Drawing on 2023 data and a five-year analysis spanning 2020 to 2024, the study finds that pedestrian deaths in California are not random or inevitable, but the predictable outcome of roadway design, speed, and long-standing underinvestment in safety infrastructure.
In 2023 alone, 1,057 pedestrians were killed on California roadways, more than any other state in the nation. Nationwide, pedestrian deaths reached 7,318 that year, underscoring a national crisis, but California stands apart in both scale and severity. The findings show that population size alone does not explain the disparity. Instead, street design, land-use patterns, and policy failures consistently place people walking in harm’s way.
“No one should have to risk their life just to cross the street,” said a spokesperson for KJT Law Group. “What this data makes clear is that pedestrian deaths in California are concentrated, repeatable, and preventable. These are systemic failures, not isolated tragedies.”
Los Angeles County: A Crisis Within a Crisis
The study identifies Los Angeles County as an extreme outlier. In 2023, the county recorded 293 pedestrian deaths, and over the five-year period examined, 1,470 people were killed while walking, more than in several other counties combined. Fatal crashes repeatedly occur on the same wide, high-speed arterial roads that cut through dense residential and commercial neighborhoods.
These corridors are designed to move vehicles quickly, not to protect pedestrians. Multiple lanes, high operating speeds, long crossing distances, and inadequate lighting leave pedestrians exposed, especially at night. Despite years of Vision Zero commitments, outcomes on the most dangerous streets have remained essentially unchanged.
A Statewide Pattern of Risk
While Los Angeles County stands alone in scale, the broader findings reveal a statewide pattern. Southern California counties, including San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego, consistently rank among the most dangerous for pedestrians. These areas share common traits: rapid suburban growth, expansive arterial networks, long travel distances, and roadway designs that prioritize speed over safety.
In Sacramento County, pedestrian fatalities are concentrated along suburban arterials and state highways outside the urban core, where higher speeds and limited crossings persist. In Central Valley counties such as Kern, Fresno, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Merced, deaths frequently occur on rural highways and auto-oriented corridors with incomplete sidewalks and poor lighting.
Even counties in the Bay Area, often viewed as leaders in transit and progressive planning, recorded hundreds of pedestrian deaths over the past five years. High-volume commuter corridors and suburban arterials near transit hubs continue to expose pedestrians to severe risk when speed and street design remain misaligned with safety goals.
Mapping the Risks: Where Pedestrians Face the Greatest Danger
Pedestrian deaths in California are concentrated in predictable environments shaped by road design, lighting, and underinvestment, not random behavior. The same conditions repeatedly place certain streets and communities at the highest risk.
Population Density, Street Design, and the Geography of Risk
Street design, not population size, determines pedestrian danger. Wide, high-speed arterials consistently produce the highest fatality rates across urban, suburban, and rural counties.
Nighttime Conditions, Lighting Failures, and Fatality Hotspots
Most pedestrian fatalities occur at night on poorly lit, high-speed roads where visibility and reaction time are limited. Inadequate lighting remains a critical and unresolved safety failure.
Inequity on the Streets: Income, Infrastructure, and Neglected Communities
Lower-income communities face higher pedestrian fatality rates due to greater exposure and long-standing infrastructure neglect. These outcomes reflect structural inequities, not individual choices.
Vision Zero vs. Reality: Where Counties Are Falling Behind
Vision Zero adoption alone has not reduced pedestrian deaths. Meaningful progress occurs only where policies are matched with street redesigns and targeted safety investments.
How Unsafe Streets Undermine Climate and Walkability Goals
Unsafe streets discourage walking and transit use, pushing short trips back to cars. Without safer pedestrian infrastructure, climate and walkability goals cannot be achieved.
Turning Data Into Action
KJT Law Group conducted this case study to clarify where pedestrian risk is concentrated and why it persists. As a California law firm that represents injured pedestrians and grieving families, the firm has witnessed firsthand the human cost behind these statistics.
“Our goal is to move this conversation beyond numbers on a page,” the firm stated. “These deaths are preventable. The solutions are known. What’s missing is decisive, sustained action where the risk is highest.”
The firm urges local and state leaders to focus on proven, corridor-level fixes: redesigning high-speed arterials, managing vehicle speeds, improving nighttime visibility, investing equitably in underserved neighborhoods, and holding agencies publicly accountable for measurable safety outcomes.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian crash, KJT Law Group’s pedestrian accident attorneys are available to help explain your rights and next steps.
About KJT Law Group
KJT Law Group is a California-based law firm that represents clients in complex personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, workers’ compensation claims, and employment law matters. The firm is committed to strong advocacy, personalized representation, and protecting the rights of individuals harmed by unsafe conditions or unlawful conduct.
For more information and to read the full case study, visit: https://www.kjtlawgroup.com/insights/most-dangerous-counties-for-pedestrians-in-california/
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