A new study reveals that California has the sixth-highest number of pedestrian collisions in the United States when adjusted for population size.
A new study by Wilk Law Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Crash Data Analysis (CDAN) platform between 2019 and 2023. The research calculated the average number of pedestrians struck by passenger cars per million residents across all 50 states to identify where pedestrian safety is a joke.
California ranks sixth, with an average of 11.83 pedestrians struck by passenger cars per million residents, 81% higher than the national average of 6.55 per million residents. With a population of 39,249,559, the Golden State recorded an average of 464 pedestrians struck annually between 2019 and 2023. The most pedestrian incidents occurred in 2021 (503), while the lowest was reported in 2020 (416).
Looking at the study, a spokesperson at Wilk Law Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers commented:
“California’s data shows that even states with advanced infrastructure are not immune to pedestrian safety challenges. The state’s large population and heavy traffic volumes make awareness and enforcement key priorities. Expanding pedestrian protection initiatives could help reduce future incidents.”

