Cases of pedestrians being killed or seriously injured in San Diego roadways have increased over time. More people are walking to work, school, shopping, having fun, or exercising, hence the high rate of pedestrian accidents. Pedestrian accidents have a high possibility of causing significant bodily injuries or death compared to other accidents.

Pedestrian accident victims should be compensated for the losses and damages incurred in the event of an accident. It can be challenging to be fully paid without the help of an attorney. That's why it is always advisable to seek an attorney's help and increase the possibility of being compensated as required. Contact the San Diego Personal Injury Law Firm, and let us help you pursue the compensation you deserve. 

Pedestrian Accident Statistics in San Diego

According to a recent report, 44 people traveling by foot, motorcycle, vehicle, or bicycle died in the City of San Diego in 2019. This number was 14 few of the fatalities in 2018, although 2017 had more fatalities than those two years. This makes the Zero Traffic Fatalities initiative a long way to go as San Diego approaches half of the ten years targeted to achieve this goal.

Half of the fatalities recorded in 2019 were pedestrian accidents, meaning there were a total of 22 pedestrian fatalities that year. This number is a reduction from 34 deaths recorded in 2018 but is still more than the 17 pedestrians who lost their lives in 2017.

When it comes to the severe injuries sustained, the number rose to 93, up from the 75 recorded in 2017. Many pedestrian accidents in San Diego are reported at intersections. The most dangerous intersections in San Diego include:

  • Valley Parkway and Midway Drive (Escondido)
  • University Avenue and 1st Avenue(Hillcrest)
  • Linda Vista Road and Ulric Street (Linda Vista)
  • Front Street and Ash Street (San Diego)
  • 4th Avenue C Street (Chula Vista)
  • Camino Del Rio and Sports Arena Blvd (Point Loma)
  • Federal Blvd and Euclid Avenue (Oak Park)
  • Pala Mission Road and Pala Temecula Road (Pala)
  • Rosecrans Street and Midway Drive (Point Loma)

Compared with other U.S cities, San Diego was ranked seventh in the number of pedestrian deaths recorded in 2016. Compared with other California cities, San Diego ranks relatively low compared with cities like Bakersfield, Yuba city, Fresno, Modesto, and El-Centro.

According to a report made by GHSA (Governor Highway Safety Association), most pedestrian accidents result from the use of smartphones and state legalization of recreational marijuana. However, there are other factors causing pedestrian deaths. In California, recreational marijuana was not legal until 1st January 2018. This would likely explain the reason behind the spike in pedestrian accidents, although there is no scientific link between these two aspects.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics in California

California is in the top 20 most dangerous states for pedestrians. In a recent report, California is the 16th most dangerous state for pedestrians. Between 2008 and 2017, 127 pedestrians died in California from motor vehicle – related accidents. During this period, pedestrian fatalities in the U.S had increased by 34.8%, but California recorded a higher percentage of 38.4%.

Between 2008 and 2017, 14% of traffic deaths nationwide were pedestrian, but California registered a higher percentage of 22%. Apart from these statistics, the following information demonstrates the rate of pedestrian accidents statistics in California:

  • In 2018, a total of 893 pedestrians died on California roadways, which is a 26% increase from the number recorded in 2014
  • More than 14,000 pedestrians were injured in 2018
  • California has the highest number of pedestrian deaths on roadways than all other states

Pedestrian Accident Statistics in the United States

In 2017, a total of 5,977 died in traffic crashes in the United States. This is about one death every 88 minutes. In 2018, the numbers were slightly higher since a total of 6283 pedestrians died. This was the highest number of deaths recorded since 1990.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, almost half (47%) of the crash involved alcohol use. This includes 33% fatal pedestrian crashes that involved pedestrians with a BAC (Blood alcohol concentration) of at least 0.08%. On the other hand, 17% of these fatal accidents involved drivers with a more than 0.08% BAC level.

Simultaneously, pedestrians aged 65 years and older accounted for 20% of all pedestrian deaths and an estimated 10% of all pedestrian injuries. One in every five children under the age of 15 years died in traffic crashes.

The same report shows that higher vehicle speeds increase pedestrians' likelihood of being struck by a vehicle and causing severe injuries. Finally, the report indicates that most pedestrians occur in urban areas, at intersections, and night.

Pedestrian Accidents Based on Environmental Characteristics

When the numbers of fatalities are considered based on environmental characteristics, the following statistics were recorded in 2017.

  • There were more pedestrian fatalities in urban areas, accounting for 80% than rural areas, which accounted for 20% of the total fatalities
  • There were fewer fatalities at intersections (73%) than those at intersections (18%). The rest of the fatalities (9%) occurred at other locations such as parking lanes, bicycle lanes, crossing islands, driveway access, non-traffic way areas, sidewalks, and other sites
  • There were more pedestrians fatalities in the dark (75%) than in daylight (21%), dawn (2%), and dusk (2%)
  • When the time of the day is divided into 3-hours intervals starting at midnight, while the season is defined by months, winter had 35% of pedestrian fatalities occurring between 6 to 9 p.m, followed by 16% from 9 to midnight. Spring months had the largest number of deaths (27%) between 9 and midnight, followed by 27% for fatalities between 6 to 9.00 p.m. During summer, more pedestrians occurred between 9 to midnight (34%), whereas the number of deaths between midnight to 3.00 a.m was 16%. Finally, 30% of fatalities occurred from 6 to 9.00 p.m, while 22% occurred between 9.00 p.m until midnight

Pedestrian Accident Statistics Based on Age

The following is the number of pedestrians killed based on their age group in 2017. In every group, the percentage number of fatalities is considered based on the total number of pedestrians killed divided by the total number of people who died in motor vehicle crashes. The number of pedestrian deaths based on the ages of the victims is as follows:

  • 19% of the total fatalities were children aged 14 years and younger
  • Pedestrian aged 50 - 59 recorded the highest number of pedestrian fatalities at 21%
  • Pedestrians aged 55 - 59 years old had the highest number of deaths at 618, while pedestrians aged between 50 - 54 had 572 fatalities
  • The number of deaths for pedestrians aged 5 -9 years was 47, while pedestrians aged below five years were 81 years. These were the smallest number of pedestrians accident based on age groups that year
  • 20% of all pedestrian fatalities involved in pedestrian accidents were 65 years old and older. Only 1,165 of the total 5,903 deaths were with known age
  • The average of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents was 47 years
  • Since 2007, the average pedestrian fatalities increased from 45 years to 47

Number of Pedestrian Fatalities Based on Gender

The following is the number of pedestrian fatalities based on gender. For every gender, the total fatality rate is based on 100,000 people and is calculated by the age group. The number of pedestrian fatalities based on gender in 2017 is as follows:

  • 70% (4,177) of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents were male
  • The overall number of male fatalities per 100,000 population was 2. 60, which is more than double the number of female fatalities (1.07 per 100,000)
  • The highest number of fatalities by age group of 55 - 59 years was 2.81 per 100,000 while the age group of 75 -79 was 2.71 per 100,000
  • The single highest number of fatalities by age and gender was for male aged 80 years and older at 4.55 pedestrians per 100,000 population

Number of Pedestrian Fatalities Based on Alcohol Involvement

47% of pedestrian fatalities in 2017 involved alcohol. This includes both drivers and pedestrians. Out of the total number of pedestrians killed depending on alcohol impairment, the pedestrian with the highest BAC was considered if several of them were involved. Therefore, the following is the number of pedestrian fatalities recorded in 2017 based on alcohol involvement:

  • 32% of the total pedestrian fatalities involved pedestrians with a BAC level of 0.08% or higher
  • An estimated 17% of the total pedestrian fatalities involved drivers with a BAC level of 0.08% or higher
  • While comparing the number of fatalities recorded in 2008 and 2017, 33% of pedestrian fatalities were recorded in 2017. This marks a 5% drop from 38% recorded in 2008
  • In 2008, the number of pedestrians aged between 21 to 24 years and 35 to 45 years had a BAC of 0.08% and was higher than other age groups. This was an estimate of 52% at that time. In 2017, the number of pedestrians aged between 45 - 54 had a BAC of 0.08% or higher and was 43% at that time

Number of Fatalities Based on Vehicle Type and Impact Point

In summary, 91% of the total pedestrian fatalities in 2017 involved single vehicles. 9% involved multiple-vehicle crashes, while 19% of the pedestrian fatalities involved hit-and-run drivers. 93% of the total hit-and-run fatalities involved single-vehicle crashes. Apart from these numbers, the following statistics involved vehicle types and impact points:

  • Most pedestrians who died in single-vehicle crashes were most likely struck by the frontal part of the vehicle rather than the rear or side
  • SUVs, pickups, passenger cars, and vans had a higher percentage of frontal impacts than other vehicles like buses and large trucks
  • Large trucks had the highest percentage of rear and right-side impacts

Pedestrian Fatalities by State in 2017

The following is the number of fatalities recorded by states in 2017. States like Florida and Washington vary greatly from other states due to the seasonal influx of population since they are popular tourism destinations. Therefore, in 2017:

  • The District of Columbia had the lowest number of all motor vehicle fatalities with a total of 31 deaths, while Texas had the highest number of fatalities at 3,722 deaths
  • California had the highest number of pedestrian fatalities with 858 deaths, followed by Florida with 654 deaths, and Texas with 607 deaths
  • North Dakota had the lowest fatalities with five deaths, followed by Wyoming with 6, and Vermont with eight deaths
  • Compared to total traffic fatalities, the percentage of pedestrian fatalities was lowest in North Dakota at 4.3%, while the District of Columbia had the highest percentage at 35.5%. These figures compare with the national average of 16.1%
  • New Mexico had the highest fatality rate of 3.54 per 100,000, followed by Delaware, which had 3.43 per 100,000. This compared to the national average of 1.84
  • North Dakota had the lowest fatality per 100,000 population with 0.66, followed closely by Minnesota at 0.68

Fatalities by Cities in 2017

In summary, major American cities' fatality rates were generally higher than the national average of 1.84 per 100,000 population. These numbers were as follows:

  • The lowest number of traffic fatalities was recorded in San Francisco with 25 deaths, and the highest number was in Los Angeles at 257 deaths
  • Los Angeles had the highest number of fatalities with 116, followed by Phoenix at 98 and New York City at 95 deaths
  • Boston and Washington, DC had a fewer number of fatalities at 11 each, followed by Seattle at 12
  • San Francisco had the highest percentage (60%) of pedestrian fatalities compared with total traffic fatalities, while Louisville, KY had the lowest percentage at 23.6%
  • Phoenix had the highest pedestrian fatality rate of 6.03 per 100,000 population, followed by Memphis at 5.67
  • New York City had the lowest pedestrian fatality rate at 1.10 per 100,000, followed by San Jose at 1.26

National Statistics on the Cause of Pedestrian Fatalities in 2017

There are several causes of pedestrian accidents. However, some factors play a larger percentage of fatalities than others. Here is a detailed view of the national statistics on the cause of deaths in 2017:

  • Failure to yield to the right of way claimed the highest number of fatalities with 1,856 deaths recorded, accounting for 30.6% of the total pedestrian fatalities
  • The improper crossing of intersections and roadways was second in the cause of pedestrian fatalities. A total of 1 294 deaths were recorded, accounting for 21.3% of all pedestrian deaths
  • In- roadway improperly like lying, walking, playing, and standing accounted for 906 deaths, which is 14.9% of the deaths recorded
  • Wearing visible clothes accounted for 888 deaths, which is 14.6% of the total deaths
  • Under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication accounted for 709 deaths, which is 11.7% of the total deaths
  • Darting or running into the road accounted for 596 deaths, which are 9.8% of the total pedestrian fatalities
  • Failure of motorists to observe traffic signals or officers led to 281 deaths, which account for 4.6% of the total deaths
  • Inattentiveness like eating or talking caused 144 deaths, which is 2.4% of the total fatalities
  • Walking on the wrong way caused 92 deaths, accounting for 1.5% of the total pedestrian fatalities
  • Traveling on prohibited traffic ways caused 70 deaths, which accounts for 1.2% of the total pedestrian fatalities
  • Emotional disturbance on motorists like depression caused 49 deaths, accounting for 0.8% of the total deaths
  • Obscured vision due to snow, rain, or parked vehicles caused 23 deaths, which is 0.4% of the total deaths
  • Non-motorist pushing vehicles caused seven deaths, which is about 0.1% of the total deaths. Portable electronics caused the same number of deaths
  • Fatigue or sleeping caused the lowest death of 5 people, which is also 0.1% of the total deaths
  • Other factors caused 176 deaths (2.9%), while none reported cases were 539 (8.9%)
  • and unknown deaths were 1,107 (18.2%)

National Statistics on The Number of Pedestrians Injured in 2018

In 2018, a total of 75,000 pedestrians were injured through traffic-related accidents. Out of this number, 14,000 were incapacitated while 28,000 were non-incapacitated and other injuries were 33,000.

While comparing both male and female genders, a total of 42,000 male were injured, which is a rate of 26 per 100,000 male population. On the other hand, 33,000 female pedestrians were injured, which is 20 people per 100,000 female population.

If the number of male and female injured through pedestrian accidents is compared based on their age group, the following data was recorded in 2018:

  • Men between the age of 25 - 34 years had the highest number of injuries of 8,000, which is a rate of 32 people per 100,000 population. The lowest number of injuries was 1,000 for male below five years, which is a rate of 6 people per 100,000 population
  • Women between 25-34 years had the highest number of injuries of 6,000. This accounts for 27 female per 100,000 population
  • A total of 14,000 injuries was recorded for both male and female pedestrians aged between 25-34 years, which is a rate of 30 people per 100,000 pedestrians

While considering the number of pedestrians injured based on the day’s time, the highest number was recorded between 3 p.m to 6 p.m, during weekdays. This accounts for 12,000 injuries, which is 23.5% of the total injuries recorded during weekdays. During weekends, the highest number was 17,000 injuries recorded between 6 p.m to 9 p.m. This accounts for 22% of the total injuries recorded during weekends.

A total of 52,000 pedestrians died during weekdays, while 23,000 died during weekends. These figures amount to the 75,000 injuries recorded that year.

Pedestrian Injuries According to Initial Point of impact

Passenger cars accounted for the highest number of injuries (28,000) than light trucks (28,000). The frontal part of passenger cars accounted for 30,000 injuries, while the rear part accounted for 2,000 injuries.

With light trucks, the frontal part accounted for 21,000 injuries, the right side 3,000 injuries, and the rear part accounted for 2,000 injuries. Other unknown vehicle types caused 2,000 injuries using their front, while their right side caused 1,000 injuries.

A total of 53,000 injuries were caused by all vehicles' front parts, while 8,000 injuries were caused by the right side, while the left and rear side caused 5,000 and 4,000 injuries. 

Number of Pedestrians Injuries Based on Location of the Road

A total of 32,00 pedestrians (42.7%) were injured at intersections in 2018. Other places accounted for 43,000 (57.3%) injuries.

Pedestrians aged 25-34 years were injured at intersections accounting for 41.5% of the total pedestrian injuries sustained that year. Pedestrians aged below five years recorded no injuries at intersections, followed by pedestrians aged 5-9 years with 1,000 injuries. 

Pedestrians aged 25-34 years recorded the highest injuries at other locations other than intersections, accounting for 8,000 injuries and a total percentage of 58.5%. This means that the total of injuries for pedestrians aged between 25-34 years was 14,000, about 18.7% of the pedestrian injuries sustained that year.

Find a Pedestrian Accident Attorney Near Me

If you are an injured pedestrian struck by a vehicle, contact the San Diego Personal Injury Law Firm today and schedule an initial consultation. We have set a proven record of providing the best legal services for our clients and are ready to do the same for you. For more information, contact us at 619-478-4059 and let us protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.