2025 SafeTREC Traffic Safety Facts: Pedestrian Safety

Introduction

Pedestrian crashes are defined as crashes where one or more victims is a pedestrian.  As a commute mode, walking is gaining in numbers. Along with that, pedestrian fatalities are also increasing. 

Pedestrian safety pertains to safe road users, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care elements of the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe System. Analyses presented in the pedestrian program area include fatal and serious injuries to pedestrians. The  Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) only includes pedestrians on foot, whereas the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) fatal and serious injury analysis includes both pedestrians and persons on personal conveyances, e.g., skateboards, wheelchairs, etc.  

Breakdown of Pedestrian Fatalities Nationwide and in California in 2023

Break-down of pedestrian fatalities nationwide and in California in 2023, and comparison with percent walk mode. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data Source: i) National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2025, April). Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023 (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 813 705). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Table 3, Page 5. ; ii) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts: California 2019 - 2023. Data Source: FARS 2019 - 2022 Final and FARS 2023 ARF. https://cdan.dot.gov/SASJobExecution/  

iii) Bricka, S., Reuscher, T., Schroeder, P., Fisher, M., Beard, J., Sun, L. (January 2024). Summary of Travel Trends: 2022 National Household Travel Survey. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. pp. 26. 

iv) California Safe Roads. (April 2022). Strategic Highway Safety Plan Traffic Safety Facts.  https://dot.ca.gov/programs/safety-programs/shsp

Summary 

  • In 2023 nationwide, 18 percent (or 7314) of all motor vehicle fatalities were pedestrians. In comparison in 2022, only 6.9 percent of all person trips were by walk mode. 

  • In 2023 in California, 27 percent (or 1106) of all motor vehicle fatalities were pedestrians. In comparison in 2017, only 12.6 percent of California’s modal share per trip were pedestrians. 

Breakdown of Pedestrian Fatalities at Intersections Nationwide and in California in 2023

Breakdown of pedestrian fatalities at intersections or not at intersections nationwide and in California from 2019 to 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data source:  FARS 2019 - 2022 Final and FARS 2023 ARF

Summary

  • In 2023 nationwide, 18% (or 1194) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred at intersections.

  • In 2023 in California, 22% (or 217) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred at intersections.

Nationwide Pedestrian Fatality Rate in 2023

Infographic detailing pedestrian fatality frequency nationwide in 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2025, April). Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023 (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 813 705). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Table 3, Page 5.

Summary 

  • In 2023, an average of 20 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes every day.

Between 2013 and 2023, pedestrian fatalities increased by 53 percent nationwide.

Pedestrian Fatality Trends Nationwide and in California from 2019 to 2023

Trend-line chart detailing pedestrian fatalities nationwide and in California from 2019 to 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data Source: FARS 2019 - 2022 Final and FARS 2023 ARF

Summary

  • Nationally, 7314 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2023.

  • In California, 1106 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2023.

  • Pedestrian fatalities decreased nationally by 0.04 percent between 2022 and 2023.

  • Pedestrian fatalities decreased in California by 0.09 percent between 2022 and 2023.

Nationwide Summary

The Governor’s Highway Safety Association found that from 2015 to 2019 Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) were overrepresented in pedestrian crashes.

Non-Hispanic Black or African American Pedestrian Fatalities Rate Nationwide, 2023

Infographic saying Black persons have a pedestrian death rate is 118% higher than that of non-Hispanic white individuals.

Data Source: Governors Highway Safety Association. (2024, June). Spotlight on Highway Safety: Pedestrian traffic fatalities by state — 2023 preliminary data (p. 15). https://www.ghsa.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/2023%20Pedestrian%20Traffic%20Fatalities%20by%20State.pdf Governors Highway Safety Association

Summmary 

  • Black people have a pedestrian death rate 118% higher than that of non-Hispanic white individuals. 

  • At night, the rate for non-Hispanic Black pedestrians was 236% higher and for Hispanic or Latino pedestrians was 84% higher than non-Hispanic white individuals. 

  • The proportion of visits to U.S. emergency rooms for pedestrian injuries was 1.53 to 2.47 times higher for six racial and ethnic minority groups than among non-Hispanic white people.

Pedestrian Fatalities at Night in 2023

Infographic saying 75% of pedestrian fatality occurred in the evening and at night (between 6 pm and 6 am).

Data Source: FARS 2019 - 2022 Final and FARS 2023 ARF

  • In 2023, 75% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in the evening and at night (between 6 pm and 6 am). 

California Summary 

The figures in this section refer to pedestrians fatally and seriously injured in a crash in California in 2023. 

Pedestrian Fatalities and Serious Injuries by County in 2023

Top 5 Counties in California by Fatalities

RankingCountiesFatalities
1Los Angeles273
2San Bernardino120
3Riverside85
4San Diego84
5Orange70

Top 5 Counties in California by Fatalities Per 100k Population

RankingCountyFatalities Per 100k Population
1Inyo10.7
2Lake7.5
3Glenn7.0
4Trinity6.3
5Humboldt6.0

Top 5 Counties in California by Serious Injuries

RankingCountySerious Injuries
1Los Angeles959
2San Diego168
3Orange154
4Sacramento138
5San Bernardino118

Top 5 Counties in California by Serious Injuries Per 100k Population

RankingCountySerious Injuries Per 100k Population
1Alpine85.8
2Modoc35.1
3Trinity12.6
4Merced11.8
5San Benito10.6

Note: The ranking for the number of fatalities per 100k population is based on unrounded calculations. 

Data sources: i) FARS 2023 ARF. (Traffic Safety Facts: California 2019 - 2023); ii) Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 202i; iii) Report P-2A: Total Population Projections, 2020-2070, California Counties, 2023 Baseline. State of California, Department of Finance. https://dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/projections/

Primary Crash Factors and Crash Types for Pedestrian Fatal and Serious Injury (FSI) Crashes

Top Five Primary Crash Factors of Pedestrian Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes in California (2023)

Bar chart detailing the top 5 most common primary crash factors in pedestrian fatal and serious injury crashes in California in 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Note: Pedestrian violations occur when a pedestrian commits a violation, whereas a pedestrian right-of-way is defined as when a pedestrian’s right-of-way is violated. However, neither indicates which party is at fault for the crash. For more information on the different Crash Types, please see the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) Help FAQ page, in the Codebook - Crash Level Section

Data source: Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2023

Summary 

  • Pedestrian Violation was the most common primary crash factor in pedestrian FSI crashes in 2023 making up 48.6 percent, followed by pedestrian right of way and unsafe speed accounting for 17.8 and 9.3 percent respectively. 

  • Unknown followed by improper turning made up the fourth and fifth most common primary crash factor in pedestrian FSI crashes in 2023 accounting for 7.0 and 4.6 percent respectively.

Crash Location for Fatal Pedestrian Crashes

Location of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in California in 2023

Alt Text: Infographic detailing the breakdown of pedestrian fatal crashes by location in California in 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Note: Urban and Rural areas are defined in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) based on the boundaries decided by the US Census Bureau which considers population and housing density. 

Data sources: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2023; ii) California Public Road Data 2022. pp. 10-12, Table 4 2022 HPMS. https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/hpms2022_prd_final.pdf

Summary

  • Urban crashes accounted for 92 percent of all fatal pedestrian crashes compared to the 8 percent that occurred on rural roads.

  • Principal arterials were the most common location for fatal pedestrian crashes accounting for 39 percent. 

  • Minor arterials, followed by interstates made up the second and third most common crash locations in fatal pedestrian crashes accounting for 22 and 13 percent respectively.  

  • Other Freeways and Expressways, Major Collectors, Local streets, Minor Collectors, and Unknown Trafficway Not in State Inventory constitute the remaining 26 percent.

Victim Demographics for Pedestrian Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes

Gender, Age and Race of Victims in Fatal and Serious Injury Pedestrian Crashes in California in 2023

Infographic detailing the gender, age and race of pedestrians in fatal and serious injury crashes in California in 2023.

Data source: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2023; ii) Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2023. Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). (2024, June). Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State, 2023 Preliminary Data (January - December). p15. 

Summary 

  • Male pedestrians made up 72.7 percent of pedestrian fatalities while also making up 62.8 percent of all seriously injured pedestrians in 2023.

  • Pedestrian fatalities aged 25 - 55 were the most represented group in pedestrian crashes in 2023, making up 56 percent of fatalities and 52.4 percent of serious injuries. 

  • Race was reported in only 27.8 percent of pedestrian fatalities in 2023. Of the 306 pedestrian fatalities in 2023 with a known race, 73.6 percent were white.

  • In California in 2021, Black people accounted for 15% of all pedestrians killed despite representing less than 6% of the overall population. 

Top Five Crash Types of Pedestrian Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes in California (2023)

Bar chart detailing the top 5 most common primary crash types in pedestrian fatal and serious injury crashes in California in 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Note: For more information on the different Crash Types, please see the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) Help FAQ page, in the Codebook - Crash Level Section

Data source: Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2023

Summary

  • Vehicle/Pedestrian crashes were the most common type of pedestrian FSI crashes in 2023 making up 87.5 percent, followed by head-on (3.6 percent) and broadside (2.5 percent).

  • Rear end crashes followed by sideswipe crashes made up the fourth and fifth most common type of pedestrian FSI crashes in 2023 accounting for 2.4 and 2.1 percent respectively. 

Time and Day of Fatal and Serious Injury Pedestrian Crashes

Time and Day of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in California in 2023

Infographic detailing the most common day and time of day in fatal pedestrian crashes in California in 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data sources: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2023; ii) Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2023

Summary

  • The peak period of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2023 was Friday evening between 6pm and 9pm.

  • 51 percent of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2023 occurred between 6pm and midnight and 9% between midnight and 6 am.

  • 47.2 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes in 2023 occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Time and Day of Serious Injury Pedestrian Crashes in California in 2023

Infographic detailing the most common day and time of day in serious injury pedestrian crashes in California in 2023. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data sources: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2023; ii) Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2023

Summary

  • The peak period of all serious injury pedestrian crashes in 2023 was Tuesday evening between 6pm and 9pm.

  • 44.6 percent of all serious injury pedestrian crashes in 2023 occurred between 6pm and midnight. 

  • 30.5 percent of serious injury pedestrian crashes in 2023 occurred on Friday and Saturday. 

Data definitions expressed as queries are available in the data dictionary on google sheets.

References

  1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (n.d.). National statistics: Summary. https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx

  2. National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2025, April). Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023 (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note, Report No. DOT HS 813 705). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

  3. Federal Highway Administration. (2023, August 4). Zero deaths and safe system. U.S. Department of Transportation. https://highways.dot.gov/safety/zero-deaths

  4. U.S. Census Bureau. (2021, October 8). 2020 census: Redistricting file (Public Law 94-171) dataset. https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2020/dec/2020-census-redistricting-summary-file-dataset.html

  5. Governors Highway Safety Association. (2024, June). Spotlight on Highway Safety: Pedestrian traffic fatalities by state — 2023 preliminary data (p. 15). https://www.ghsa.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/2023%20Pedestrian%20Traffic%20Fatalities%20by%20State.pdf Governors Highway Safety Association

  6. California Department of Transportation. (2023). California public road data 2022 (pp. 10–12, Table 4). https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/hpms2022_prd_final.pdf

  7. Raifman, M. A., & Choma, E. F. (2022, June 7). Disparities in activity and traffic fatalities by race/ethnicity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(22)00155-6/fulltext

  8. Barry, V., Van Dyke, M. E., Nakayama, J. Y., et al. (2024, May 2). Emergency department visits for pedestrians injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes — United States, January 2021–December 2023. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 73(17), 387–392. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7317a1

This report was prepared in cooperation with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of OTS.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.