Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Palm Desert, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 58
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 13
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 5
- fatal
- street with the most
- SR-111
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 5 spots, explained- 1SR-111 & Deep Canyon Rd3 crashes · 2 serious or fatalA mix of crash types
- 2Fred Waring Dr & Town Center Way4 crashes · 1 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 2 of 4, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 3Ocotillo Dr & El Paseo4 crashes · 1 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 4, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Is Palm Desert 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: 58 pedestrian crashes were reported in Palm Desert from 2021–2026, 13 of them serious or fatal (5 fatal). The most were at SR-111 & Deep Canyon Rd (3). 29% involved a driver turning, 14% turning left. 41% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Palm Desert
- 29% involved a driver turning, 14% turning left.
- 41% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 24% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 40% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Palm Desert
- 40% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 51% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 22% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 2% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
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.
- 013 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
SR-111 & Deep Canyon Rd
A mix of crash types
Of 3 people hit here, 2 were in a crosswalk at the intersection. 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.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 024 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Fred Waring Dr & Town Center Way
Drivers turning right into people crossing
Police reports: in 2 of 4, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 3 of 4 crashes a driver was turning right. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 034 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Ocotillo Dr & El Paseo
Drivers turning right into people crossing
Police reports: in 3 of 4, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 3 of 4 crashes a driver was turning right. 4 of 4 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.
- 044 crashes
SR-111 & San Pablo Ave
People hit walking in the road
2 of 4 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing. 75% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 45 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.
- 053 crashes
Palm Desert Dr N & San Luis Rey Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
2 of 3 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 67% 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.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in Palm Desert
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| SR-111 | 9 | 3 |
| Fred Waring Dr | 6 | 2 |
| El Paseo | 5 | 2 |
| Country Club Dr | 5 | 2 |
| Portola Ave | 5 | 1 |
| Washington St | 3 | 0 |
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 Palm Desert
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 15 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 4 | |
| drove under the influence | 3 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 2 | |
| ran a red light | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 28 cars, 10 SUVs, 4 pickup trucks, 2 truck or semis, 2 minivans and 1 motorcycle. In 6 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 Palm Desert
The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 33% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Tuesday.
| Monday | 9 | |
| Tuesday | 11 | |
| Wednesday | 8 | |
| Thursday | 11 | |
| Friday | 9 | |
| Saturday | 6 | |
| Sunday | 4 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Palm Desert, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Palm Desert
| Where the person on foot was | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 41% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 5% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 24% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 29% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 40% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 9% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 32% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 19% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Palm Desert, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (58) or the road's posted speed (53). 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 Palm Desert by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 9 | 3 |
How people get to work in Palm Desert
| Share of workers | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 13.3% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.7% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 14.9% | 17.2% |
3.9% of households in Palm Desert have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 21 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 51,990 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 Palm Desert's streets.
Common questions about Palm Desert
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Palm Desert?
- The worst spot is SR-111 & Deep Canyon Rd, with 3 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Fred Waring Dr & Town Center Way (4) and Ocotillo Dr & El Paseo (4).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Palm Desert?
- 5 crashes killed someone in 58 reported pedestrian crashes in Palm Desert from 2021–2026, and 13 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Palm Desert?
- 29% involved a driver turning, 14% turning left. 41% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 24% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 40% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Palm Desert, compared with California?
- Of 58 reported pedestrian crashes in Palm Desert from 2021–2026: 40% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 51% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 22% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 2% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Palm Desert have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: SR-111 (9), Fred Waring Dr (6), El Paseo (5), Country Club Dr (5), Portola Ave (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Palm Desert?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Palm Desert was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Tuesday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Palm Desert?
- 1.1% of workers in Palm Desert walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 0.7% take public transit. 3.9% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Palm Desert each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 10, 2022: 13, 2023: 9, 2024: 7, 2025: 10, 2026: 9. 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.