Top 20 Most Dangerous Counties for Pedestrians in California

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.

A Closer Look at Where and Why Pedestrians Are Dying

California has long been viewed as a place of innovation, mobility, and rapid growth, but it consistently remains at the top of national pedestrian fatality statistics. Year after year, more people are killed while walking in California than in any other state. This is not simply a function of population. It is the result of a roadway system that prioritizes fast vehicle movement, a land use pattern that invites conflict between pedestrians and traffic, and an uneven distribution of safety investments that leaves many communities exposed to unacceptable danger.

Pedestrian safety concerns have intensified as state leaders push for more climate-friendly travel options. Walking and transit use will not grow if people believe that crossing the street is inherently life-threatening. Fatality numbers tell an unmistakable story about the health of California’s streets and the degree to which local systems protect or fail to protect people who travel without a car.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) report Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State, 7,318 pedestrians were killed nationwide in 2023, underscoring the severity of the ongoing pedestrian safety crisis. 

The ranking below presents a clear picture of the national pedestrian safety landscape that year, with California leading the nation by a wide margin with 1,057 fatalities. This level of pedestrian risk far exceeds what would be expected based solely on population. Although Texas has a population relatively close to California’s, California recorded more than 250 additional pedestrian deaths, revealing a profound and persistent statewide challenge. Florida posted a similar fatality total to Texas, yet California still surpassed both by a considerable distance. The size of this gap signals a widespread pattern of danger affecting nearly every region of the state, rather than isolated problem areas.

California stands out because the factors that increase pedestrian risk often occur simultaneously. Large metropolitan counties contain multilane arterials that carry high volumes of fast-moving vehicles. Many suburban areas rely heavily on road networks built for vehicle throughput rather than pedestrian access. Rural corridors often serve as essential walking routes in communities with limited car ownership. These layers of risk appear across multiple regions within the state, which explains why fatality numbers remain high even during years with safety initiatives in place.

Understanding these national patterns is essential for any local or state-level strategy. California’s ranking reflects a systemic challenge. Effective solutions require not only roadway redesign but also policies that change the underlying conditions that create pedestrian exposure. This includes land-use planning, transit investment, equitable distribution of safety funding, and community-centered design approaches. Without structural changes, fatality numbers are likely to remain high, and the gap between California and the rest of the nation may continue to widen.

Why We Conducted This Case Study

This case study aims to clarify where pedestrian risk is concentrated in California and why these patterns persist. At KJT Law Group, as a California law firm, we have seen a steady increase in pedestrian injury cases over recent years, mirroring trends in statewide safety data. That firsthand experience is what led us to raise concerns and bring greater attention to the conditions that continue to put people walking at risk.

Too often, fatality numbers appear in technical reports without enough context for the public. Our goal is to provide a clear picture of which communities face the greatest danger, the factors that contribute to that risk, and the changes needed to prevent future harm. A statewide view shows that pedestrian deaths are highly concentrated, with a small number of counties accounting for a disproportionate share of fatalities.For those directly affected, the consequences are deeply personal. If you or someone you care about has been involved in an accident and needs guidance, our pedestrian accident lawyers are available to help answer questions and explain the next steps. Our focus is on supporting injured pedestrians and families while continuing to advocate for safer streets across California.

Method and Scope

This analysis begins with 2023 pedestrian fatality data to establish a transparent and comparable snapshot of pedestrian risk, then places that year within a five-year context spanning 2020 through 2024. Using cumulative fatalities across this period allows the rankings to reflect persistent, structural safety conditions rather than short-term fluctuations or isolated incidents. 

The five-year totals form the basis for identifying the 20 most dangerous counties for pedestrians in California and support an examination of how roadway design, land-use patterns, traffic speeds, and uneven safety investments contribute to sustained pedestrian danger across the state.

Top 20 Most Dangerous Counties for Pedestrians in 2023

Data from the California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages (CATSIP) on Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes by County show that pedestrian fatalities are not evenly distributed across California.  In 2023 alone, 1,057 pedestrians were killed statewide, underscoring the scale and persistence of the crisis. A relatively small number of counties account for a disproportionate share of deaths year after year, reflecting long-standing differences in roadway design, development patterns, traffic speeds, and exposure to high-volume corridors. 

The counties identified in this ranking represent the places where walking has consistently been most dangerous over the 2020 to 2024 period, with 2023 serving as a reference year to place recent conditions within a longer-term safety context.

County-by-County Breakdown of Pedestrian Fatalities and Risk Factors

This county-by-county breakdown of pedestrian fatalities and risk factors in California examines how pedestrian safety varies across the state, identifying areas with disproportionately high fatality rates and where crashes concentrate, who is most affected, what the data reveal, and what local authorities can do now to reduce preventable deaths.

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Major Patterns in the Ranking

Los Angeles County stands alone in both scale and severity, recording 293 pedestrian fatalities in 2023 and 1,470 deaths from 2020 to 2024, more than any other county by a wide margin. The county’s fatality burden exceeds that of the following five counties combined, a result of extreme pedestrian exposure along wide, high-speed arterials that run through dense residential and commercial areas. Repeated fatalities on the same corridors year after year point to long-standing infrastructure and speed management failures rather than isolated incidents.

Southern California’s broader pattern reveals a contiguous region of elevated pedestrian danger. San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, and Orange counties each recorded high fatality totals over both the single-year and five-year period, reflecting shared characteristics: expansive arterial road networks, rapid suburban growth, long travel distances, and roadway designs that prioritize vehicle speed over pedestrian safety. Together, these counties illustrate how regional development and transportation decisions create systemic risk that extends across county lines.

Sacramento County’s position near the top of the rankings highlights a different but equally concerning pattern. Fatalities are concentrated along suburban arterials and state highways outside the urban core, where higher speeds, limited crossings, and poor nighttime visibility persist. The data show that pedestrian safety improvements have not kept pace with suburban expansion and commuter traffic volumes.

Central Valley counties, including Kern, Fresno, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Merced, show a consistent pattern of pedestrian fatalities on rural highways and auto-oriented urban corridors. These counties combine high-speed roads, incomplete sidewalk networks, limited lighting, and long distances between destinations. Although some counties post lower annual totals, their five-year fatality counts reveal persistent danger for residents who walk out of necessity along corridors never designed for pedestrian use.

Bay Area counties appear lower in the rankings but still demonstrate persistent pedestrian risk tied to arterial design. Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Solano counties collectively recorded hundreds of pedestrian deaths over the five years, often along high-volume commuter corridors and suburban arterials bordering dense neighborhoods and transit hubs. These cases show that even regions with strong transit use and progressive planning frameworks continue to experience preventable fatalities when arterial speeds and street design remain misaligned with pedestrian safety.

Mapping the Risks: Where Pedestrians Face the Greatest Danger

Pedestrian risk in California is shaped more by the physical and social environments where people walk than by individual behavior. Patterns across counties show that danger increases where population growth, roadway design, lighting conditions, and economic inequality intersect. National research from Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design report reinforces this pattern, finding that pedestrian deaths are most likely on wide, high-speed arterial roads in communities shaped by auto-oriented land use and chronic underinvestment in safety infrastructure. 

Examining these factors together helps explain why certain streets and communities consistently experience higher rates of pedestrian fatalities, and why those risks persist despite broader safety goals and policy commitments.

Population Density, Street Design, and the Geography of Risk

Counties with large populations and high pedestrian activity, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange, experience elevated exposure, but exposure alone does not explain the scale of fatalities. The defining factor is street design. Across the highest-ranking counties, fatal crashes are concentrated on arterial roads built to move vehicles quickly through dense residential and commercial areas. These corridors commonly feature multiple travel lanes, wide turning radii, high posted and operating speeds, infrequent crosswalks, numerous driveways, and transit stops without safe pedestrian access.

In inland and suburban counties such as San Bernardino, Riverside, Sacramento, and San Joaquin, the pattern shifts but remains equally dangerous. Fatalities frequently occur on fast suburban arterials and state highways where pedestrian infrastructure is minimal or nonexistent. In rapidly growing areas, sidewalk networks and safe crossings often lag years behind development, forcing people on foot to travel along roads never designed for walking. In rural counties, highways are usually the only connection between communities, placing pedestrians directly in high-speed traffic. Across regions, the interactions among land use, roadway design, and travel behavior shape the geography of risk. When everyday walking routes intersect with roads designed for speed and volume, the consequences are often severe.

Nighttime Conditions, Lighting Failures, and Fatality Hotspots

Darkness dramatically increases the risk of fatal pedestrian crashes. Data shows that more than three-quarters of pedestrian fatalities occur in low-light conditions, and California’s county data reflect the same pattern. A comprehensive review of pedestrian fatalities in darkness found that reduced visibility, higher operating speeds, and inadequate roadway lighting significantly increase both the likelihood and severity of fatal crashes, particularly on arterial roads and high-speed corridors. In many of California’s most dangerous counties, a substantial share of pedestrian deaths occur at night on poorly lit streets where drivers have limited reaction time, and pedestrians are difficult to see.

The deadliest nighttime locations consistently include wide commercial arterials with outdated or failing streetlights, freeway on- and off-ramp areas where pedestrians must cross multilane traffic, transit corridors lacking sidewalks or safe crossings, and long rural stretches where vehicles travel at high speeds with minimal illumination. In these environments, the combination of darkness and speed leaves little margin for survival, turning routine trips into life-threatening events.

Inequity on the Streets: Income, Infrastructure, and Neglected Communities

Pedestrian danger in California closely follows lines of economic and social inequality. County and corridor-level patterns show that fatalities are disproportionately concentrated in lower-income neighborhoods where infrastructure investments have historically lagged. These areas often lack continuous sidewalks, protected crossings, adequate lighting, and traffic calming. At the same time, residents are more likely to walk out of necessity, given lower car ownership and higher transit use. Research examining pedestrian injuries in California counties found that the percentage of residents living in low-income households was the strongest predictor of pedestrian crashes, with poorer neighborhoods experiencing up to 4 times as many crashes as more affluent areas, even after accounting for other demographic factors. 

The result is a predictable and recurring pattern: greater exposure to traffic, more walking along high-speed arterials, higher fatality rates, and longer emergency response times in rural and semi-rural areas. Survivors and families in these communities also face higher rates of disability and financial hardship following serious crashes. Transportation systems that fail to provide basic pedestrian protections compound existing vulnerabilities and deepen inequities.

Vision Zero vs. Reality: Where Counties Are Falling Behind

Vision Zero commitments are widespread across California, but county-level outcomes show that adoption alone does not guarantee progress. Los Angeles County, for example, continues to record the highest number of pedestrian deaths in the state despite years of Vision Zero planning. Data show that a majority of fatalities occur on a small, well-documented set of high-injury corridors that have changed little over time.

Other counties show similar gaps between policy and outcomes. In some jurisdictions, traffic deaths have increased even as safety plans remain in place, underscoring that goals without implementation do not save lives. Counties that have made measurable progress, such as Santa Clara and San Francisco, tend to pair policy commitments with concrete actions: roadway redesigns, speed reductions, targeted enforcement, and sustained public engagement focused on the most dangerous corridors.

How Unsafe Streets Undermine Climate and Walkability Goals

California’s climate and transportation goals depend on people feeling safe walking and accessing transit. County data show that dangerous streets undermine these goals at every level. When walking feels unsafe, people shift short trips to cars, parents discourage children from walking to school, transit ridership suffers, and housing near transit becomes less attractive. Research on walkable urban neighborhoods also shows that pedestrian environments and transit systems are deeply linked: in cities where walking and transit are prioritized together, people are more likely to use sustainable modes of transportation and reduce reliance on driving, highlighting the connection between safety, walkability, and long-term travel behavior. 

In effect, unsafe streets slow the transition to cleaner transportation, making the most sustainable travel options feel risky or impractical. Without addressing pedestrian safety at the corridor level, especially on high-speed arterials and in underserved communities, efforts to reduce emissions and promote walkability will continue to fall short.

How California Counties Can Strengthen Policies and Infrastructure Today

Local authorities already have the tools to reduce pedestrian deaths, and the data clearly show where action will have the most significant impact. Over the past five years, the same road types, locations, and conditions have accounted for the highest number of pedestrian fatalities across California counties, indicating that the problem is both identifiable and solvable. Focusing on corridor design, speed management, nighttime safety, and equitable investment allows counties to move beyond planning and deliver real improvements where risk is highest.

An analysis from Streets Are For Everyone reinforces this conclusion, showing that progress depends less on new ideas and more on follow-through. Reducing traffic violence requires faster implementation, greater transparency in accountability, and sustained investment in proven safety measures. Success will ultimately be measured not by additional plans or commitments, but by visible changes on the street that make walking safer and prevent future loss of life.

Turning Data Into Life-Saving Action

The data from 2020 to 2024 leave little room for debate. Pedestrian deaths in California are concentrated in predictable places, along the same corridors, and under the same conditions year after year. This is not a mystery; it is a warning. The factors driving these fatalities are well documented, and the solutions are widely known.

What separates continued loss of life from meaningful progress is action. Safer streets emerge when governments prioritize people over speed, invest where risk is highest, and hold themselves accountable for measurable results. Local authorities that act decisively can reduce fatalities, protect vulnerable communities, and rebuild trust in public spaces. The opportunity is clear: California can choose to turn its data into decisive action and prevent deaths that should never happen.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a pedestrian accident, it’s crucial to understand the next steps for legal representation and recovery. Acting quickly can protect your rights and significantly impact your ability to recover fair compensation.