LOS ANGELES, CA (August 6, 2024) – August is National Traffic Safety Month, and in many counties across California is when kids are headed back to school. We analyzed data from SWITRS (Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, a CHP database) to see if there is a significant increase in pedestrian-involved collisions in August, when streets become more congested with young pedestrians and vehicles.
The data analyzed included pedestrian-involved collisions in Los Angeles County, in the months of July & August, from the years 2013 to 2023. The age range for pedestrians was 5 to 17 years old.
In 7 out of the 10 years studied, there was a noticeable increase in pedestrian-involved crashes from July to August. On average, August has experienced a 10-30% rise in pedestrian collisions compared to July.
However, despite this seasonal increase, the overall number of pedestrian-involved collisions has dramatically decreased over the decade, by approximately 70%, during these months. For instance, August 2013 recorded 88 pedestrian-involved collisions in Los Angeles County, whereas August 2023 saw a significant reduction to just 27 incidents.
The study also highlights the percentage of pedestrians at fault in these collisions, averaging 37% in July and 29% in August. Common pedestrian violations contributing to these incidents include:
- Failure to yield the right-of-way to traffic at marked or unmarked crosswalks.
- Failure to obey crosswalk signals or complete crossing before the countdown ends.
- Failure to walk close to the edge of the roadway when no sidewalk is present.
However, drivers still make up the majority of at-fault parties in pedestrian-involved accidents. A key factor in pedestrian-involved collisions, especially near schools, is drivers failing to yield to crossing guard instructions.
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This data underscores the importance of heightened awareness and caution for both pedestrians and drivers when kids are heading back to school and traffic becomes more congested, to continue the positive trend of overall decreasing pedestrian-involved collisions.
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