The Latest Traffic Accident Statistics in Los Angeles County

An automobile collision is a serious situation. Unfortunately, these happen more often than we might expect, particularly in Los Angeles County. 

This is one of the country's most populated areas, so it is only natural to assume that there is a greater risk of a car accident occurring here. But, what are the raw numbers for a bad car wreck here? 

These are some of the traffic accident 

statistics. 

Fatalities 

In 2020, there were 238 fatalities caused by traffic accidents 2020. That is down from 246 in 2019, a decrease of about three percent. 

Of those deaths, the victims are separated into four categories. These are pedestrians, motor vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, and cyclists. 

Pedestrians were by far the leaders in deaths, with just over half of the 238 belonging to them. They were 120 deaths. 

Then, motor vehicle occupants were a distant second with 68 of the deaths. Thirty-five motorcyclists died, and 15 cyclists passed last year. 

Most of these categories had decreased from 2019. The most notable decrease was in pedestrians. Despite leading the pack in fatalities, they went down from 136 to 120 last year. 

Cyclists went down by four from 19 to 15. 

But, the two that increased were motorcyclists and motor vehicle occupants. The latter only increased by one from 67 to 68.

However, motorcyclists had a notable jump, going from 24 to 35. That was the highest amount since 2017.  

Vision Zero 

This program was meant to make the roads of Los Angeles safer, but it has not had the impact that the county has wanted. This program started in 2015, but ironically, fatalities have only increased since it was implemented. 

Vision Zero is supposed to do crosswalk upgrades, install refuge islands, change lane configurations, paint curb extensions, and improve traffic signals. 

Yet, in those five years, the total deaths went from 186 per year in 2015 to 238 in 2020. It reached as high as 261 deaths in 2016, the year after this program came to be. 

Total Accidents

The total amount of car accidents that happen in Los Angeles County is right around 54,000. Luckily, not many of them are fatal, with the 236 number looking very small in comparison. 

Still, that means a car accident is happening in this city almost every 10 minutes. 

Fewer Cars, Similar Numbers 

The most alarming thing about all of the stats above is that for parts of 2020, there were significantly fewer cars on the road. For the first couple of months of the pandemic, most notably April, there were up to 50% fewer cars on the road than pre-pandemic. 

Yet, the numbers barely changed from 2019 to 2020, despite having some months with half of the drivers than usual. It is perhaps a sign that people may be getting a little more daring and reckless on the road due to the decrease in traffic. 

If you are a victim of one of these drivers, places like Sweetlaw.com can help you. 

Decrease Traffic Accident Statistics

Some of these traffic accident statistics are alarming because we did not drive nearly as much last year. Do your part to flatten that curve. 

For more information, read our Transportation articles under the Technology section.