Pedestrian deaths decreased about 13 percent in California in 2023 and 5.4 percent in the United States compared to the year before, according to a new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit representing state highway safety offices.
The state recorded 1,057 pedestrian fatalities—151 fewer than 2022—or a 12.5 percent drop.
California had 2.71 pedestrian traffic deaths per 100,000 people in 2023 and New Mexico had the highest death rate for pedestrians for the third year in a row, at 4.68 deaths per 100,000.
States with smaller populations tended to see larger percentage shifts, according to the report. Idaho, for example, had 20 more fatalities in 2023, a 125 percent increase from 2022.
Colorado reported the biggest increase, with 29 more pedestrian deaths in 2023 compared to the year before—a 27 percent jump.
Nationwide, drivers killed 7,318 pedestrians in 2023, again down 5.4 percent compared to 2022, and a 14 percent decrease from pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
Pedestrian deaths reached a 40-year high in 2022.
“A decline in pedestrian deaths offers hope that after years of rising fatalities a new trend is starting,” said the highway association’s Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins.
Data used for the report was from state highway safety offices in every state and the District of Columbia. The report also includes an analysis of 2022 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The association said it believes improving pedestrian safety should include more infrastructure, more vehicles designed to protect pedestrians, lower speeds, and traffic enforcement.
In 2022, most pedestrian deaths occurred at night and nearly doubled from 3,030 in 2010 to 5,798 in 2022, according to the traffic safety administration.
The Federal Highway Administration estimates more than 3 trillion vehicle miles were traveled in the United States last year. That was an increase of 67.5 billion miles compared to 2022.
Also in 2022, two-thirds of pedestrian fatalities happened in locations with no sidewalk, according to the governor’s highway association report.
“Sidewalks can help protect people walking by providing a physical separation between them and motor vehicle traffic,” the association said in a press release about the report.
