Car accident statistics for Los Angeles County, California (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Los Angeles County by year

Car accident deaths in Los Angeles County moved from 625 in 2020 to 712 in 2021, then to 730 in 2022, before declining to 693 in 2023 and 645 in 2024. The highest year in the period was 2022, with 730 deaths, and the lowest was 2020, with 625 deaths. Comparing the two ends of the period, 2024 was higher than 2020 by 20 deaths. Across the full five years, the county recorded 3,405 car accident deaths and 3,167 fatal crashes in total, averaging 681.0 deaths per year.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Los Angeles County car accidents

Among the 3,405 car accident deaths recorded in Los Angeles County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans made up the majority at 1,744 deaths, or 51.2% of the total. People in other vehicles accounted for 391 deaths, or 11.5%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 1,270 deaths, or 37.3%, a category covering pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants rather than only people physically outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Looking at the manner of collision in these car accident deaths, Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport was the majority category at 2,088 deaths, or 61.3%. This row covers crashes whose first harmful event was not a collision between two motor vehicles in transport, including striking a pedestrian, a cyclist, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover. Among collisions with another motor vehicle in transport, Angle (side impact) was largest at 674 deaths (19.8%), followed by Rear-end at 284 (8.3%), Head-on at 240 (7.0%) and Sideswipe at 100 (2.9%). Other accounted for 11 deaths (0.3%) and Unknown for 8 deaths (0.2%).^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Of the 3,405 car accident deaths recorded from 2020 through 2024, Nighttime hours accounted for the majority at 2,366 deaths (69.5%), compared with 1,012 deaths (29.7%) during Daytime hours; 27 deaths carried an unknown time of day. Urban land use accounted for the majority of these deaths at 3,114, or 91.5%, while Rural land use accounted for 283, or 8.3%. Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 215, which is 6.3% of all car accident deaths in the period.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with California and the United States

Los Angeles County's average annual rate of car accident deaths was 6.9 per 100,000 residents from 2020 through 2024. That rate is lower than the statewide California rate of 9.3 and lower than the national rate of 10.5. Among the listed neighboring counties, San Bernardino County, California had a rate of 15.9, Orange County, California had a rate of 6.2, Kern County, California had a rate of 19.4, and Ventura County, California had a rate of 6.5; Los Angeles County's rate was higher than Orange County's and Ventura County's but lower than San Bernardino County's and Kern County's. This measure reflects average annual deaths per 100,000 residents and does not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

Recorded characteristics of all fatal crashes

Looking at recorded characteristics across all fatal crashes in Los Angeles County, of any vehicle type, as shares of all traffic deaths, Speeding-related crashes were linked to 1,523 deaths (37.2%), the largest share among the characteristics listed, while In a work zone was the smallest at 63 deaths (1.5%). Pedestrian involved crashes accounted for 1,507 deaths (36.8%), At an intersection for 1,310 (32.0%), Roadway departure for 1,267 (30.9%), Hit-and-run for 701 (17.1%), Motorcycle involved for 620 (15.1%) and Driver distraction reported for 93 (2.3%). Because a single crash can carry more than one characteristic, these shares overlap and do not add to 100%.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault.

About these figures

These figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes that occur on trafficways open to the public where a vehicle occupant or nonoccupant dies within 30 days. Counts are grouped by the county where each crash happened rather than by where the people killed lived. Data for 2020 through 2023 come from FARS Final Files, while the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and may be revised once NHTSA issues the Final File. Rates on this page divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for those years, and they do not account for miles driven or for visitors. FARS itself covers fatal crashes only, so nonfatal crashes and injuries are not part of these statistics.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Orange County, California (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for San Bernardino County, California (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Kern County, California (2020-2024)
• California car accident statistics (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Truck accident statistics for Los Angeles County, California (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)