L.A.’s deadly roads are seeing a troubling trend continue into 2024
Los Angeles saw a record number of traffic fatalities in 2023, and 2024 is off to a troubling start, according to data compiled by Crosstown L.A.
Based on publicly available police reports, the nonprofit news outlet found there were 343 traffic deaths in 2023, the third consecutive year of increases, and 77 deaths through the first three months of 2024.
The data includes fatal vehicle collisions and pedestrians.
While this year’s pace is slightly behind last year, it is still substantially higher than in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hit-and-run deaths in L.A. have nearly doubled in recent years, the data shows, from 56 in 2020 to 108 in 2023. Through April 6, there have been 31 fatal hit-and-runs in the city.
“Los Angeles is not alone, as traffic deaths have increased in other cities and states,” Crosstown L.A. notes. “The rise has been attributed to multiple factors, including people driving larger, heavier vehicles, which inflict greater damage, particularly when a pedestrian is struck … Additionally, there have been more deaths of people not wearing seatbelts.”
Distracted driving and distracted pedestrians have also contributed to the surge.
Downtown Los Angeles has seen the highest number of road deaths since January 2023, with 19, followed by Sun Valley (15), Pacoima (12), Manchester Square (11), and Northridge (11).
In 2015, then-L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti launched Vision Zero, a citywide initiative to “eliminate” traffic deaths by 2025.
In March, L.A. voters overwhelmingly approved Measure HLA, which aims to make city streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists by adding hundreds of miles of bike and bus lanes.
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