Sacramento among California cities most dangerous for pedestrians, new national study says

Sacramento is home to some of the most pedestrian fatalities in the U.S., according to a new study.

According to the 53-page pedestrian fatality report, the Sacramento area including Roseville and Folsom, ranked No. 27 out of 101 U.S. metro areas, tied with Atlanta. The nine other California cities ranked include:

• Bakersfield - No. 7
• Stockton - No. 9
• Fresno - No. 10
• Riverside - No. 14
• San Diego - No. 31
• Los Angeles - No. 32
• San Jose - No. 49
• San Francisco - No. 56
• Oxnard - No. 85

Smart Growth America’s “Dangerous By Design 2022,” based on information from mobile devices, focuses on the years 2016 to 2020.

Organized by the number of deaths per 100,000 people, Sacramento recorded 296 pedestrian deaths between 2016 and 2020 and California documented 4,729 — ranking ninth deadliest U.S. state for pedestrians. Deltona, Florida is the deadliest city for pedestrians and New Mexico is the deadliest state, according to the study.

The study’s data was gathered from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, along with information from StreetLight Data and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most dangerous corridors in Sacramento

The conversation surrounding dangerous roads, intersections and cross walks is a timeless debate in Sacramento.

Earlier this year, a Reddit user asked the r/Sacramento forum for tips on what can be done about Sacramento’s dangerous roadways including Sunrise Blvd., Watt Ave. and Elk Grove Blvd.

In 2019, the city of Sacramento identified the five most dangerous road corridors in the area: Broadway-Stockton Blvd., West El Camino Ave., South Stockton, Marysville Blvd. and Florin Road, according to previous Bee reporting. These roadways had the highest number of crashes involving both pedestrians and motorists.

The interactive map below from Smart Growth America pinpoints the most dangerous street near you. The map includes every pedestrian fatality with location data from 2008 to 2020, according to the nonprofit organization:

COVID-19 didn’t curb the pedestrian fatality rate

COVID-19 has changed the way people get around, but one thing didn’t change much: the number of pedestrians killed.

Even though fewer people drove in 2020 because of the pandemic, there was an almost 5% increase in pedestrian deaths compared to 2019, according to the study. More than 6,500 people were killed in the U.S. while walking in 2020, an average of almost 18 per day.

“Our nation’s street are dangerous by design, designed primary to move cars quickly at the expense of keeping everyone safe,” Smart Growth America wrote on its website.

Low income communities suffer pedestrian fatalities the most.

With less access to sidewalks, crosswalks and overall safer street designs — older pedestrians and those living in low-income neighborhoods endure the most dangerous walking conditions, according to the pedestrian fatality study. The reason: these neighborhoods are more likely to have roads built for high speeds and traffic volumes at intersections.

People of color, particularly Native and Black Americans, are more likely to die while walking than any other race or ethic group, according to the study.

Bakersfield, Stockton, Fresno and Riverside are among the United State’s “Top 20 most dangerous metro areas for pedestrians” and they’ve all gotten significantly more deadly in recent years.

This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 11:17 AM.