L.A. pedestrian deaths rise despite safety initiative

Pedestrian fatalities in Los Angeles have surged dramatically despite a citywide initiative aimed at eliminating traffic deaths, highlighting an urgent public safety crisis on the city's streets and sidewalks.

Through April 12 of this year, 39 pedestrians were killed in traffic collisions in L.A., according to L.A.Police Department Traffic Division Compstat data. This marks a significant increase from a decade earlier, when 26 deaths were recorded during the same period.

The rising pedestrian death toll comes despite the implementation of Vision Zero, a program launched under former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti with the ambitious goal of eliminating all traffic deaths in the city by 2025. Rather than improving safety, pedestrian conditions have worsened considerably.

Last year, 169 pedestrians were killed in vehicle collisions, representing more than half of the 302 total traffic-related deaths in the city. The previous year saw even higher numbers, with 185 pedestrian fatalities — the highest annual count recorded in over a decade.

A recently released 125-page city report details the failures of the Vision Zero initiative. Only half of the planned actions were completed, and the program lacked basic accountability systems among city departments. The report also cited poor coordination and diminishing participation from the LAPD's traffic division as contributing factors.

Vision Zero originated in Sweden in 1997 and has been implemented in numerous cities worldwide. Many European cities, including London, have reported success in reducing fatalities. According to the city report, San Francisco reduced its fatality rate from 4.52 to 3.58 per 100,000 people.

However, L.A. has experienced the opposite trend. Overall traffic fatalities increased from 186 in 2015 to 345 in 2023, before declining slightly to 302 last year.

Several factors contribute to the rising death toll. Larger and heavier vehicles on the road prove more lethal in collisions. Cell phone distraction affects drivers and pedestrians, who may be looking at screens instead of watching for traffic.

In her newsletter, "Torched," Journalist Alissa Walker notes years of deferred maintenance for street improvements have also contributed to the dangerous conditions.

While pedestrian deaths increased by 92% over the past decade, the number of serious pedestrian collisions rose only slightly. Last year's total of 1,677 serious vehicle-pedestrian collisions barely exceeded the 1,611 recorded in 2021. However, the percentage of those collisions resulting in fatalities increased by 23% during that period.