The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario region in southern California is listed as one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians in the country in a new study.
The listing was compiled by Smart Growth America in a new edition of Dangerous by Design. The report spotlighted those cities across the United States in which pedestrians are at the highest risk of being involved in a fatal or injurious accident. The researchers derived the results by analyzing the fatality rate for pedestrians per 100,000 against the percentage of the local population that commutes to work on foot.
Florida was found to be the riskiest state in the country for pedestrians, with large numbers of metropolitan areas considered very risky for pedestrians. The most dangerous city in the country for pedestrians is Orlando. In California, the most dangerous area is the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario region. In this region, the total number of fatalities was 889 between 2003 and 2012, with a danger index of 102.2. In comparison, Orlando’s pedestrian danger index was off the charts at 244.3.
Other dangerous areas for pedestrians in California are the Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville region with an adult fatality rate of 390 and a danger index of 81.3. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana region in southern California saw 2, 435 pedestrian fatalities during the study period, with a the danger index of 66.9.
Other areas in California that were designated as dangerous for pedestrians include the San Diego-Carlsbad- San Marcos area, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara region, and the San Francisco-Fairmont-Oakland area.
Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers have found that much of California’s problems with pedestrian safety stem from the lack of adequate pedestrian infrastructure in this state. A heavy motoring culture has meant that infrastructure is geared towards the safety of motorists, with very little thought to the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. That means an increased risk of accidents for an increasing number of pedestrians in California.
