In L.A., 336 people died in crashes in 2023 and more than half of them were pedestrians. That’s the highest number in more than 20 years and advocates are demanding action.
There were more fatal crashes last year than all homicides for the first time in a decade, as traffic deaths reached a record high in Los Angeles.
In all, 336 people died in crashes in 2023 — more than half of them, 179, were pedestrians. That’s the highest number since the city started keeping statistics more than two decades ago.
Calling them “untenable circumstances that are threatening our community,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore delivered the grim statistics during a joint news conference with Mayor Karen Bass on Wednesday.
Fatal crashes overall jumped about 8% over 2022, while fatal hit-and-runs spiked 23%, causing 106 traffic deaths. Meanwhile homicides dropped 17% to 327.
To address the rise in collisions, he said, officers were focusing on problem areas, handing out speeding tickets, cracking down on drunk drivers and solving hit and run crashes. But advocates say law enforcement alone won’t fix a larger problem if streets aren’t friendlier to those who walk them.
“This is a deadly city and it’s not being treated with urgency,” said Damian Kevitt, executive director of the advocacy group Streets Are For Everyone.
