Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Lancaster, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 269
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 99
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 38
- fatal
- street with the most
- Avenue J
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Lancaster 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: 269 pedestrian crashes were reported in Lancaster from 2021–2026, 99 of them serious or fatal (38 fatal). The most were at Avenue J & Cedar Ave (17). 22% involved a driver turning, 12% 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 Lancaster
- 22% involved a driver turning, 12% turning left.
- 28% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 39% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 51% happened after dark.
- 16% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Lancaster
- 51% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 73% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 37% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 2% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: a construction or repair zone (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 · 11 serious or fatal · 4 fatal
Avenue J & Cedar Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
11 of 17 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 82% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
- 027 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Avenue K & Division St
People hit crossing mid-block
6 of 7 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 43% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
- 036 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Challenger Way & Avenue J
Drivers turning right into people crossing
In 2 of 6 crashes a driver was turning right. 4 of 6 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them.
- Watch for drivers turning right, including on a red light. They look left for traffic and often miss people on their right, so make eye contact before you step out.
- 045 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
10th St W & Newgrove St
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 2 of 5 crashes a driver was turning left. 3 of 5 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them. 40% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- Before you step out, look for drivers turning left from the far side of the junction. They are watching for a gap in oncoming traffic, not for you.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 057 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Lancaster Blvd & Date Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
4 of 7 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 43% 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.
- 065 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
10th St West & Avenue J
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 5 people were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- 076 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Division St & Ave J
People hit walking in the road
3 of 6 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph. 33% were hit-and-run.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 083 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Kingtree Ave & Avenue I
People hit crossing mid-block
2 of 3 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 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.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 093 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
10th St W & Avenue H-8
A mix of crash types
67% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Cross with the signal, and check for turning drivers before you step out.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 104 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Avenue I & Fern Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
2 of 4 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 50% 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.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in Lancaster
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue J | 31 | 10 |
| Avenue K | 29 | 11 |
| Avenue I | 26 | 12 |
| Sierra Hwy | 17 | 8 |
| Lancaster Blvd | 16 | 5 |
| Challenger Way | 11 | 5 |
| 10th St West | 11 | 4 |
| 10th St W | 10 | 5 |
| Ave J | 9 | 6 |
| Avenue L | 5 | 2 |
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 Lancaster
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 42 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 17 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| drove under the influence | 5 | |
| ran a red light | 4 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 4 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 157 cars, 46 SUVs, 28 pickup trucks, 7 motorcycles, 6 minivans and 2 truck or semis. In 19 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 Lancaster
The busiest hour was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 27% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Tuesday.
| Monday | 36 | |
| Tuesday | 51 | |
| Wednesday | 31 | |
| Thursday | 30 | |
| Friday | 46 | |
| Saturday | 46 | |
| Sunday | 29 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Lancaster, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Lancaster
| Where the person on foot was | Lancaster | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 30% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 4% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 42% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 25% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | Lancaster | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 24% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 3% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 39% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 34% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Lancaster, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (255) or the road's posted speed (62). 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 Lancaster by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43 | 15 | |
| 2022 | 49 | 14 | |
| 2023 | 45 | 13 | |
| 2024 | 62 | 24 | |
| 2025 | 44 | 19 | |
| 2026 | 26 | 14 |
How people get to work in Lancaster
| Share of workers | Lancaster | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.1% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 13.2% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1.4% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.2% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 17.2% |
7% of households in Lancaster have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 30.8 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 169,169 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 Lancaster's streets.
Common questions about Lancaster
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Lancaster?
- The worst spot is Avenue J & Cedar Ave, with 17 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 11 of them serious or fatal. Next are Avenue K & Division St (7) and Challenger Way & Avenue J (6).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Lancaster?
- 38 crashes killed someone in 269 reported pedestrian crashes in Lancaster from 2021–2026, and 99 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Lancaster?
- 22% involved a driver turning, 12% turning left. 28% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 39% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 51% happened after dark. 16% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Lancaster, compared with California?
- Of 269 reported pedestrian crashes in Lancaster from 2021–2026: 51% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 73% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 37% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 2% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: a construction or repair zone (2).
- Which streets in Lancaster have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Avenue J (31), Avenue K (29), Avenue I (26), Sierra Hwy (17), Lancaster Blvd (16). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Lancaster?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Lancaster was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Tuesday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Lancaster?
- 1.2% of workers in Lancaster walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 1.4% take public transit. 7% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Lancaster each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 43, 2022: 49, 2023: 45, 2024: 62, 2025: 44, 2026: 26. 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.