Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Bakersfield, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 871
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 253
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 125
- fatal
- street with the most
- Union Ave
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Union Ave & 8th St17 crashes · 10 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 17, a driver drove too fast for conditions.
- 2Union Ave & 4th St13 crashes · 6 serious or fatalPeople hit crossing mid-block
- 3Ming Ave & Stine Rd15 crashes · 5 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 4 of 15, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Is Bakersfield safe to walk?
This page covers traffic crashes, not crime. We don't rate cities as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a street is, and busy streets have more crashes partly because more people use them. What the records show: 871 pedestrian crashes were reported in Bakersfield from 2021–2026, 253 of them serious or fatal (125 fatal). The most were at Union Ave & 8th St (17). 22% involved a driver turning, 11% turning left. 28% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Bakersfield
- 22% involved a driver turning, 11% turning left.
- 28% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 35% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 52% happened after dark.
- 14% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield
- 52% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 65% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 29% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 4% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 12 crashes: holes or deep ruts (8), a construction or repair zone (2) and something blocking the road (2).
Set against all pedestrian crashes in California, 2021–2026. Without traffic counts these can't say how risky a street is.
Where pedestrian crashes cluster
Spots with 3 or more reported crashes within about 250 m, worst first.
- 0117 crashes · 10 serious or fatal · 4 fatal
Union Ave & 8th St
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 3 of 17, a driver drove too fast for conditions. 10 of 17 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 65% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 0213 crashes · 6 serious or fatal · 4 fatal
Union Ave & 4th St
People hit crossing mid-block
6 of 13 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 62% happened after dark.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- 0315 crashes · 5 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Ming Ave & Stine Rd
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 4 of 15, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 5 of 15 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 40% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 048 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 4 fatal
4th St & R St
People hit walking in the road
5 of 8 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing. 75% happened after dark.
- Stay out of the traffic lane: check behind you before stepping out from a parked car, and where there's no sidewalk, walk facing traffic as far from the lane as you can.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- 0515 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
23rd St & K St
People hit crossing mid-block
7 of 15 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 47% happened after dark.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- 064 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 4 fatal
Olive Dr & Agoura Hills Way
People hit walking in the road
3 of 4 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing. 100% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 50 mph.
- Stay out of the traffic lane: check behind you before stepping out from a parked car, and where there's no sidewalk, walk facing traffic as far from the lane as you can.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 0712 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Chester Ave & 4th St
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 3 of 12, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 7 of 12 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 67% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 089 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
White Ln & El Potrero Ln
People hit crossing mid-block
6 of 9 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 56% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 0911 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Brundage Ln & Union Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
8 of 11 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 64% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 105 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 3 fatal
Union Ave & 11th St
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver drove too fast for conditions. 3 of 5 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 60% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Union Ave | 63 | 32 |
| Chester Ave | 36 | 11 |
| California Ave | 34 | 12 |
| White Ln | 31 | 13 |
| Ming Ave | 30 | 9 |
| Brundage Ln | 29 | 9 |
| H St | 29 | 8 |
| Panama Ln | 29 | 8 |
| Stockdale Hwy | 21 | 7 |
| Truxtun Ave | 20 | 6 |
Reported pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026, counted by the street each police report names first, so a crash at a corner counts toward one of its two streets. Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
What the police reports say drivers did in Bakersfield
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 162 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 44 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 32 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 31 | |
| drove under the influence | 29 | |
| ran a red light | 25 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian on a sidewalk | 5 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 4 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 359 cars, 108 SUVs, 105 pickup trucks, 20 minivans, 15 truck or semis and 6 buses. In 56 crashes the report says the other driver had been drinking or was on drugs.
Reported pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026. The officer names one party and one Vehicle Code section as the main cause of each crash; these are the crashes where that party was a driver. It is the officer's reading at the scene, not a court's finding, and many reports name the person on foot or on a bike instead, which we don't list.
When pedestrians are hit in Bakersfield
The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 25% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Friday.
| Monday | 92 | |
| Tuesday | 140 | |
| Wednesday | 129 | |
| Thursday | 141 | |
| Friday | 158 | |
| Saturday | 108 | |
| Sunday | 103 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Bakersfield
| Where the person on foot was | Bakersfield | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 29% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 2% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 35% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 34% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | Bakersfield | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 21% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 14% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 52% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 13% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (863) or the road's posted speed (767). Freeway crashes are left out. These describe the crashes, not how dangerous each kind of street is: we have no count of how many people cross each one.
Pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 139 | 46 | |
| 2022 | 149 | 61 | |
| 2023 | 175 | 46 | |
| 2024 | 147 | 44 | |
| 2025 | 150 | 28 | |
| 2026 | 111 | 28 |
How people get to work in Bakersfield
| Share of workers | Bakersfield | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.1% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 10.2% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.4% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 0.8% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 17.2% |
7.4% of households in Bakersfield have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 23.6 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 411,986 residents. These are trips to work only: walks to school, the shops or a bus stop aren't counted, so they can't say how much walking or riding happens on Bakersfield's streets.
Common questions about Bakersfield
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Bakersfield?
- The worst spot is Union Ave & 8th St, with 17 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 10 of them serious or fatal. Next are Union Ave & 4th St (13) and Ming Ave & Stine Rd (15).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Bakersfield?
- 125 crashes killed someone in 871 reported pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield from 2021–2026, and 253 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Bakersfield?
- 22% involved a driver turning, 11% turning left. 28% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 35% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 52% happened after dark. 14% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Bakersfield, compared with California?
- Of 871 reported pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield from 2021–2026: 52% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 65% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 29% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 4% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 12 crashes: holes or deep ruts (8), a construction or repair zone (2) and something blocking the road (2).
- Which streets in Bakersfield have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Union Ave (63), Chester Ave (36), California Ave (34), White Ln (31), Ming Ave (30). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Bakersfield?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Bakersfield was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Friday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Bakersfield?
- 0.8% of workers in Bakersfield walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 0.4% take public transit. 7.4% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Bakersfield each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 139, 2022: 149, 2023: 175, 2024: 147, 2025: 150, 2026: 111. The latest year can rise as late reports come in.
- Where does this data come from?
- Police crash reports in the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published by the state on data.ca.gov. Only crashes reported with map coordinates are counted, so the real totals are higher.
Nearby cities
Source: California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), 2021–2026. A report with no coordinates is placed at the intersection its street names give; reports with neither are not counted, so these numbers are lower than the real total. Crashes on freeways are left out. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-22. How the data works.