Pedestrian accidents take a huge toll on our state each year, and the saddest part is that many collisions could be easily prevented. A little more attention from careless drivers and caution from reckless drivers could save hundreds of lives a year.
California’s Latino and Hispanic communities often end up as victims in these heartbreaking accidents. Abogados de Acero deals with the aftermath of many of these collisions and sees the devastation they can cause. We hope a visual reminder of the dangers we all face on local streets could help get all drivers to slow down and watch out for the most vulnerable travelers along our streets and highways.
How Many Hispanic Victims Are Killed Each Year in U.S. Pedestrian Accidents?
According to The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 6,565 people were killed in pedestrian collisions in 2020 in the United States. 1,367 Hispanic and Latino people were among those victims. They made up 21% of the victims overall. White people accounted for 41% of the total pedestrian fatalities. Black and African Americans accounted for 20% of that tragic number. Asian victims were 2% of those incidents.
- The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) cites an international study to illustrate how the risks can be elevated for some Latino and Hispanic Families. The study documents how injury risks for pedestrians and bicyclists were 20% to 30% higher among the children of physical labor workers than those of intermediate and high-level salaried employees.
- Smart Growth America finds that California is the sixteenth worst state for pedestrian dangers. That’s after examining data for all states going back a decade. They compared the number of people getting struck and killed with the state’s population. Florida ranked first on their list of most dangerous states for those on foot, with Alabama and Delaware following closely behind.
- The National Safety Council (NSC) concluded that over a ten-year period, Hispanic or Latino pedestrians struck at night experienced a fatality rate 84% higher than non-Hispanic whites.
Overall, the number of deadly pedestrian accidents has been rising across the country. The NHTSA data shows that the number of crashes has been trending upward, even through the pandemic when traffic was greatly reduced. The GHSA’s figures for 2022 show that at least 7,500 victims lost their lives. That’s an increase from the NHTSA’s figure of 7,388 in 2021. Figures from both sources were used to create the chart below:
When researching all pedestrian accidents on California streets, California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) shows how statewide incidents have been down when compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Perhaps redesigned intersections that are proven to be safer for cyclists and pedestrians are having a positive impact.
TIMS reports that there were a shocking 11,500 pedestrian accidents involving any level of injury or a fatality in 2023. That was down a bit from 2022 numbers. Hopefully, when 2024 figures can be tabulated, they’ll show an improvement on our streets.
How Many Los Angeles Pedestrian Accidents Involve Hispanic Victims?
California has the largest Latino-Hispanic population of any state. It’s easy to see why so many pedestrian accidents involve Latino or Hispanic victims. Looking at the accident figures for cities in two different parts of California can give us a better idea of the scale of the risks for those on foot.
Around half of all residents in Los Angeles County identify as Latino or Hispanic. In 2022, TIMS data showed overall there were 3,213 pedestrian accidents involving injuries in the county. Sadly, over 200 people lost their lives in those crashes.
According to their research, almost 2,000 of the victims of those crashes were Latino-Hispanic. That’s around 62% of all L.A. County pedestrian accidents. 146 of the tragic fatalities involved a Latino-Hispanic victim. The City of Los Angeles alone recorded 1,230 pedestrian accidents affecting Latino-Hispanic victims.
Unfortunately, pedestrian accident rates have not shown the same decline in Fresno. The rate has increased every year and the worst has been endured by Latino and Hispanic communities.
Latino-Hispanic residents make up around 55% of the population in Fresno County. TIMS figures showed that, overall, the county recorded 245 pedestrian accidents involving injuries in 2023. There were a reported 32 people who lost their lives in those collisions.
Incredibly, 173 victims were Latino-Hispanic, working out to around 70% of all victims. Sadly, at least 26 Latino-Hispanic victims lost their lives in these accidents.
Demanding Safer Walks in California in 2024 and Beyond
We can all wish for safe travels in 2024, but it takes a team effort to improve on the shocking accident rates documented in California each year. Drivers must put down their cell phones and pay attention to everyone around them. That’s crucial to the survival of vulnerable pedestrians who walk without any protection when compared to people in cars and SUVs.
Latino and Hispanic victims and their loved ones can seek support after a pedestrian is struck by a car. Immigration and citizenship status do not affect the victim’s ability to demand assistance with paying hospital bills and supporting your family while you are out of work. The California Pedestrian Accident Lawyers with Abogados de Acero offer a free case consultation to all victims. Contact them today to schedule a free case review.
