Dangerous by Design
All States ¬
California
Between 2000 and 2009 6,957 people were killed while walking in California, which cost the state $29.92 billion. Reducing pedestrian fatalities just 10% would have saved California $2991.51 million over 10 years. California's overall Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) is 71, which ranks 16th out of 50 states. — Download California report/factsheet PDF
Fatality Statistics
Deaths per 100,000 people, from 2000-2007
| by Race/Ethnicity | |
|---|---|
| African-Americans | 2.83 |
| Asians | 1.95 |
| Hispanics | 3.06 |
| Non-Hispanic whites | 1.6 |
| by Age | |
|---|---|
| 65 and over | 4.72 |
| 65 and over fatality rate national rank | 3rd |
| Under age 65 | 1.6 |
Metro Data (2000-2009)
| Metro area | Total pedestrian fatalities | Percent of all traffic deaths that were pedestrians | Fatality rate per 100,000 persons | 2009 population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 183 | 11.5% | 2.5 | 807,407 |
| Chico | 31 | 9.3% | 1.4 | 220,577 |
| El Centro | 38 | 8.1% | 2.5 | 166,874 |
| Fresno | 199 | 12.8% | 2.3 | 915,267 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | 16 | 4.3% | 1.1 | 148,764 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana | 2533 | 27.2% | 2 | 12,874,797 |
| Madera | 48 | 12.2% | 3.5 | 148,632 |
| Merced | 75 | 12.7% | 3.3 | 245,321 |
| Modesto | 106 | 13.1% | 2.2 | 510,385 |
| Napa | 13 | 7% | 1 | 134,650 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 93 | 12.5% | 1.2 | 802,983 |
| Redding | 36 | 11.5% | 2.1 | 181,099 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 938 | 14.5% | 2.5 | 4,143,113 |
| Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville | 377 | 17.3% | 1.9 | 2,127,355 |
| Salinas | 66 | 11.8% | 1.6 | 410,370 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos | 623 | 21.8% | 2.1 | 3,053,793 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | 685 | 26.1% | 1.6 | 4,317,853 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 274 | 24.9% | 1.6 | 1,839,700 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | 27 | 6.7% | 1.1 | 266,971 |
| Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta | 65 | 15.1% | 1.6 | 407,057 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | 38 | 16.2% | 1.5 | 256,218 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | 54 | 10.6% | 1.2 | 472,102 |
| Stockton | 155 | 14% | 2.4 | 674,860 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield | 53 | 12.4% | 1.3 | 407,234 |
| Visalia-Porterville | 98 | 10.3% | 2.5 | 429,668 |
| Yuba City | 21 | 6.3% | 1.4 | 165,539 |
County Data (2000-2009)
| County | Total pedestrian fatalities | Percent of all traffic deaths that were pedestrians | Fatality rate per 100,000 persons | 2009 population | Percent of population in poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | 233 | 23% | 1.6 | 1,491,482 | 10.9% |
| Alpine | 1 | 3.4% | 8.3 | 1,041 | 12.2% |
| Amador | 5 | 4.2% | 1.3 | 37,876 | 8.9% |
| Butte | 31 | 9.3% | 1.4 | 220,577 | 18.3% |
| Calaveras | 3 | 2.4% | 0.7 | 46,731 | 9.7% |
| Colusa | 4 | 4.5% | 1.9 | 21,321 | 15.7% |
| Contra Costa | 126 | 18.2% | 1.3 | 1,041,274 | 8.6% |
| Del Norte | 10 | 11.1% | 3.5 | 29,114 | 19.4% |
| El Dorado | 15 | 5.4% | 0.9 | 178,447 | 7.7% |
| Fresno | 199 | 12.8% | 2.3 | 915,267 | 20.9% |
| Glenn | 5 | 5.4% | 1.8 | 28,299 | 17.8% |
| Humboldt | 26 | 10.8% | 2 | 129,623 | 18.2% |
| Imperial | 38 | 8.1% | 2.5 | 166,874 | 21.2% |
| Inyo | 6 | 5.3% | 3.4 | 17,293 | 10.9% |
| Kern | 183 | 11.5% | 2.5 | 807,407 | 20.4% |
| Kings | 16 | 4.3% | 1.1 | 148,764 | 19.1% |
| Lake | 18 | 10.3% | 2.9 | 65,279 | 18.8% |
| Lassen | 0 | 0% | 0 | 34,473 | 13.8% |
| Los Angeles | 2079 | 28.1% | 2.1 | 9,848,011 | 15.4% |
| Madera | 48 | 12.2% | 3.5 | 148,632 | 18% |
| Marin | 22 | 19% | 0.9 | 250,750 | 6.4% |
| Mariposa | 3 | 4.7% | 1.7 | 17,792 | 10.1% |
| Mendocino | 20 | 8% | 2.3 | 86,040 | 16.3% |
| Merced | 75 | 12.7% | 3.2 | 245,321 | 21.1% |
| Modoc | 0 | 0% | 0 | 9,107 | 15.8% |
| Mono | 2 | 3.8% | 1.6 | 12,927 | 14.3% |
| Monterey | 66 | 11.8% | 1.6 | 410,370 | 13.3% |
| Napa | 13 | 7% | 1 | 134,650 | 9.7% |
| Nevada | 9 | 5.5% | 0.9 | 97,751 | 8.1% |
| Orange | 454 | 23.8% | 1.5 | 3,026,786 | 9.6% |
| Placer | 39 | 11.4% | 1.3 | 348,552 | 6.2% |
| Plumas | 1 | 1.3% | 0.5 | 20,122 | 11% |
| Riverside | 422 | 14.2% | 2.3 | 2,125,440 | 12.3% |
| Sacramento | 302 | 23% | 2.3 | 1,400,949 | 13.2% |
| San Benito | 4 | 4.1% | 0.7 | 55,058 | 11.1% |
| San Bernardino | 516 | 14.8% | 2.7 | 2,017,673 | 14.3% |
| San Diego | 623 | 21.8% | 2.1 | 3,053,793 | 11.5% |
| San Francisco | 220 | 51.9% | 2.9 | 815,358 | 11.5% |
| San Joaquin | 155 | 14% | 2.4 | 674,860 | 15.3% |
| San Luis Obispo | 27 | 6.7% | 1.1 | 266,971 | 13.6% |
| San Mateo | 84 | 21.9% | 1.2 | 718,989 | 7.2% |
| Santa Barbara | 65 | 15.1% | 1.6 | 407,057 | 13.8% |
| Santa Clara | 270 | 26.9% | 1.6 | 1,784,642 | 8.6% |
| Santa Cruz | 38 | 16.2% | 1.5 | 256,218 | 12.7% |
| Shasta | 36 | 11.5% | 2.1 | 181,099 | 15.4% |
| Sierra | 0 | 0% | 0 | 3,174 | 6.9% |
| Siskiyou | 4 | 3.2% | 0.9 | 44,634 | 15.4% |
| Solano | 53 | 12.4% | 1.3 | 407,234 | 9.9% |
| Sonoma | 54 | 10.6% | 1.2 | 472,102 | 9.6% |
| Stanislaus | 106 | 13.1% | 2.2 | 510,385 | 15.1% |
| Sutter | 7 | 3.9% | 0.8 | 92,614 | 12.8% |
| Tehama | 18 | 10.5% | 3 | 61,138 | 19.8% |
| Trinity | 0 | 0% | 0 | 14,165 | 15.1% |
| Tulare | 98 | 10.3% | 2.4 | 429,668 | 22.6% |
| Tuolumne | 12 | 7.3% | 2.1 | 55,175 | 10.4% |
| Ventura | 93 | 12.5% | 1.2 | 802,983 | 9% |
| Yolo | 21 | 8.9% | 1.1 | 199,407 | 17.2% |
| Yuba | 14 | 9.1% | 2.1 | 72,925 | 17.4% |
Preventable Pedestrian Deaths
The decades-long neglect of pedestrian safety in the design and use of American streets is exacting a heavy toll on our lives. From 2000 to 2009, 47,700 pedestrians were killed in the United States, the equivalent of a jumbo jet full of passengers crashing roughly every month.
Despite the magnitude of these avoidable tragedies, little public attention — and even less in public resources — has been committed to reducing pedestrian deaths and injuries in the United States.
Locate Fatalities Near You
Enter any U.S. address to see an interactive map of fatalities near that location.
Download the National Report PDF
Download and read the full national report, which explores the numbers, the causes and the solutions for solving this epidemic of preventable deaths.
