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Freeway vs. surface street crashes in Los Angeles: Statistics (2026 Update)

Freeway crashes killed 70 people in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. Surface-street crashes killed 265, say CHP crash records. Surface streets had 79.1 percent of the city's crash deaths. Freeways had 20.9 percent. These freeway vs surface street crash statistics for Los Angeles compare deaths, causes, timing and routes.

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Updated October 20, 2026

Published by Moe Abdallah Law, P.C., the Los Angeles firm of attorney Mohamad “Moe” Abdallah (California State Bar No. 348886). Our own analysis of official crash records; see the methodology below.

Main findings: freeway vs surface street crashes in Los Angeles

  • 265 people died in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, against 70 in freeway crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Surface streets accounted for 79.1 percent of the 335 deaths in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025, and freeways for 20.9 percent. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • LAPD's COMPSTAT report counted 247 fatal crashes on LAPD's streets citywide from Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, 2026, against 220 in the same period of 2025. It does not publish a separate freeway count. (LAPD COMPSTAT, Oct. 2026)
  • Unsafe speed was the most common main cause in both settings in 2025: 46.6 percent of freeway crashes and 22.2 percent of surface-street crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 67.6 percent of fatal freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened in the dark, as did 62 percent of fatal surface-street crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 52.9 percent of fatal freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 fell on a Saturday or Sunday, against 35.2 percent of fatal surface-street crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • US-101 had the most freeway crashes inside City of Los Angeles limits in 2025, with 3,017 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Figueroa had the most surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, with 489 crashes, counting crashes where it was the main road or the cross street. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 29 pedestrians were killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, and 136 were killed in surface-street crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • CHP wrote 15,625 of the City of Los Angeles crash reports for 2025 and LAPD wrote 14,280, so the freeway share of crash counts (50.8 percent) is inflated by an LAPD reporting gap. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 882 people died in freeway crashes across California in 2025, and 7.9 percent of those deaths happened in the City of Los Angeles. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
The numbers at a glance: City of Los Angeles, 2025
MeasureNumberYearSource
Crashes15,2022025CHP CCRS
Crashes with an injury5,1682025CHP CCRS
Fatal crashes682025CHP CCRS
People killed702025CHP CCRS
People seriously injured2442025CHP CCRS
Killed or seriously injured3142025CHP CCRS
Share of all LA traffic deaths20.9%2025CHP CCRS
People killed in 2024782025CHP CCRS
People killed statewide (California, 2025)8822025CHP CCRS
Surface-street crashes14,7132025CHP CCRS
People killed on surface streets2652025CHP CCRS

Download every statistic on this page (CSV) One row per stat with its source, link and anchor. Free to reuse with credit.

How many people die on Los Angeles freeways compared with surface streets?

Far more people die on surface streets. In 2025, 265 people died in City of Los Angeles surface-street crashes and 70 died in freeway crashes, according to CHP crash records.

  • 70 people were killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, in 68 fatal crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 265 people were killed in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, in 250 fatal crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Freeway crashes made up 20.9 percent of the 335 deaths in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Surface-street crashes made up 79.1 percent of the deaths in City of Los Angeles crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 314 people were killed or seriously injured in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 2,223 people were killed or seriously injured in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 244 people suffered suspected serious injuries in City of Los Angeles freeway crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 1,958 people suffered suspected serious injuries in City of Los Angeles surface-street crashes in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
Cars stopped after a rear-end collision in Los Angeles

Are there more crashes on freeways or surface streets in Los Angeles?

CHP's records show about the same number of each, but that comparison is not reliable. CHP wrote 15,625 of the city's 2025 crash reports and LAPD wrote 14,280, and LAPD-written crashes reach the state system in smaller numbers since LAPD changed its records system.

  • CHP's records list 15,202 freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, about 41.6 a day. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • CHP's records list 14,713 surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, about 40.3 a day. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Freeway crashes were 50.8 percent of the 29,915 City of Los Angeles crashes in CHP's 2025 records, a share that the LAPD reporting gap inflates. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 5,168 freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 injured at least one person. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 7,052 surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 injured at least one person. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Every freeway crash in CHP's 2025 City of Los Angeles records (100 percent) was written by CHP, the agency that patrols freeways. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Felony hit-and-run was recorded in 397 freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, and in 3,353 surface-street crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 20001 requires a driver involved in a crash that injures or kills another person to stop at the scene immediately; a violation can be punished by state prison or county jail time and a fine of $1,000 to $10,000. (Cal. Veh. Code 20001, Oct. 2026)
  • Drivers fled the scene in 25.1 percent of freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, counting felony and misdemeanor hit-and-run. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Drivers fled the scene in 46.9 percent of surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, counting felony and misdemeanor hit-and-run crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)

What causes freeway and surface-street crashes in Los Angeles?

Unsafe speed is the most common main cause on both. Officers recorded it in 46.6 percent of freeway crashes and 22.2 percent of surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025.

  • Officers listed unsafe speed as the main cause in 7,089 freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 (46.6 percent). (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers listed unsafe turn or lane change as the main cause in 3,135 freeway crashes in 2025 (20.6 percent). (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers listed unsafe lane change (lane straddling) as the main cause in 3,048 freeway crashes in 2025 (20 percent). (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers listed unsafe speed as the main cause in 3,267 surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 (22.2 percent). (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers listed unsafe turn or lane change as the main cause in 2,344 surface-street crashes in 2025 (15.9 percent). (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Officers listed driving under the influence as the main cause in 1,389 surface-street crashes in 2025 (9.4 percent). (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The most common main cause in fatal freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 was pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk without yielding, recorded in 17 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The most common main cause in fatal surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 was unsafe speed, recorded in 58 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 48.6 percent of freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 were rear-end collisions. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 19.2 percent of surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 were broadside (T-bone) collisions. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The unsafe speed cause on this page is California Vehicle Code 22350, which bars driving faster than is reasonable or prudent given weather, visibility, traffic and the surface and width of the road. (Cal. Veh. Code 22350, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 22349 sets 65 miles per hour as the maximum speed on a highway, except where Section 22356 allows a higher limit. (Cal. Veh. Code 22349, Oct. 2026)
  • California Vehicle Code 21658 requires drivers on a road with two or more marked lanes in one direction to stay as nearly as practical within a single lane and to leave it only when that is reasonably safe. (Cal. Veh. Code 21658, Oct. 2026)
  • According to LADOT, unsafe speed was the main violation in 40 percent of fatal motor vehicle only collisions in Los Angeles from 2017 to 2021. (LADOT, Oct. 2026)
  • LADOT's 2026 Speed Safety System Program Pilot Impact Report states that a pedestrian hit by a vehicle at 23 mph has a 90 percent chance of survival, which drops to 75 percent at 33 mph and 25 percent at 48 mph. (LADOT, Oct. 2026)
  • NHTSA counted 1,303 speeding-related traffic deaths in California in 2023, including 156 on urban interstates and 425 on other principal arterials. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • NHTSA's 2023 California count of speeding-related deaths also includes 125 on non-interstate freeways and expressways, 279 on minor arterials, 173 on collector roads and 111 on local roads. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • NHTSA found that 87 percent of speeding-related traffic deaths in the United States in 2023 (10,285 deaths) occurred on non-interstate roads. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to UC Berkeley SafeTREC, principal arterials were the most common location of speeding-related fatal crashes in California in 2023, at 32 percent. (UC Berkeley SafeTREC, Oct. 2026)

Main causes of freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles, 2025

Main causes of freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles, 2025unsafe speed: 7,089 crashes; unsafe turn or lane change: 3,135 crashes; unsafe lane change (lane straddling): 3,048 crashes; driving under the influence: 900 crashes; unsafe start or backing: 68 crashes; VC 23114: 47 crashes; unsafe passing on the right: 42 crashes; pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk without yielding: 34 crashes.unsafe speedunsafe speed: 7,089 crashes7,089unsafe turn or lane changeunsafe turn or lane change: 3,135 crashes3,135unsafe lane change (lane straddling)unsafe lane change (lane straddling): 3,048 crashes3,048driving under the influencedriving under the influence: 900 crashes900unsafe start or backingunsafe start or backing: 68 crashes68VC 23114VC 23114: 47 crashes47unsafe passing on the rightunsafe passing on the right: 42 crashes42pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk without yieldingpedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk without yielding: 34 crashes34
Data: Main causes of freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles, 2025
Crashes
unsafe speed7,089
unsafe turn or lane change3,135
unsafe lane change (lane straddling)3,048
driving under the influence900
unsafe start or backing68
VC 2311447
unsafe passing on the right42
pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk without yielding34

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Driver documenting car damage after a crash in Los Angeles

When do freeway and surface-street crashes happen in Los Angeles?

In the City of Los Angeles in 2025, surface-street crashes peaked from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and freeway crashes from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., the busiest hour for each. Most fatal crashes on both happen in the dark, and fatal freeway crashes lean toward weekends.

  • The busiest hour for freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 was 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with 947 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The busiest hour for surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 was 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., with 855 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 23.9 percent of freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened from 3 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 21.8 percent of surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened from 3 p.m. to 6:59 p.m. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Friday was the busiest day for freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, with 2,382 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Friday was the busiest day for surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, with 2,315 crashes. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles peaked in October 2025, with 1,411 crashes that month. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles peaked in October 2025, with 1,407 crashes that month. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 35.5 percent of freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened in the dark. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 41.6 percent of surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened in the dark. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 67.6 percent of fatal freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened in the dark. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 62 percent of fatal surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened in the dark. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 57.4 percent of fatal freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened between 9 p.m. and 4:59 a.m. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 40.8 percent of fatal surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened between 9 p.m. and 4:59 a.m. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 52.9 percent of fatal freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened on a Saturday or Sunday. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 35.2 percent of fatal surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 happened on a Saturday or Sunday. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)

Freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by hour of day, 2025

Freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by hour of day, 202512a.m.: 580 crashes; 1a.m.: 380 crashes; 2a.m.: 397 crashes; 3a.m.: 322 crashes; 4a.m.: 326 crashes; 5a.m.: 385 crashes; 6a.m.: 531 crashes; 7a.m.: 744 crashes; 8a.m.: 784 crashes; 9a.m.: 692 crashes; 10a.m.: 639 crashes; 11a.m.: 666 crashes; 12p.m.: 735 crashes; 1p.m.: 704 crashes; 2p.m.: 765 crashes; 3p.m.: 875 crashes; 4p.m.: 927 crashes; 5p.m.: 947 crashes; 6p.m.: 879 crashes; 7p.m.: 702 crashes; 8p.m.: 555 crashes; 9p.m.: 565 crashes; 10p.m.: 586 crashes; 11p.m.: 516 crashes.02505007501,00012a.m.: 580 crashes12a.m.1a.m.: 380 crashes2a.m.: 397 crashes3a.m.: 322 crashes3a.m.4a.m.: 326 crashes5a.m.: 385 crashes6a.m.: 531 crashes6a.m.7a.m.: 744 crashes8a.m.: 784 crashes9a.m.: 692 crashes9a.m.10a.m.: 639 crashes11a.m.: 666 crashes12p.m.: 735 crashes12p.m.1p.m.: 704 crashes2p.m.: 765 crashes3p.m.: 875 crashes3p.m.4p.m.: 927 crashes5p.m.: 947 crashes6p.m.: 879 crashes6p.m.7p.m.: 702 crashes8p.m.: 555 crashes9p.m.: 565 crashes9p.m.10p.m.: 586 crashes11p.m.: 516 crashes
Data: Freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by hour of day, 2025
12a.m.1a.m.2a.m.3a.m.4a.m.5a.m.6a.m.7a.m.8a.m.9a.m.10a.m.11a.m.12p.m.1p.m.2p.m.3p.m.4p.m.5p.m.6p.m.7p.m.8p.m.9p.m.10p.m.11p.m.
Crashes580380397322326385531744784692639666735704765875927947879702555565586516

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Which Los Angeles freeways and surface streets have the most crashes?

US-101 had the most freeway crashes inside city limits in 2025, with 3,017, and Figueroa had the most surface-street crashes, with 489. These are totals, not rates, so longer and busier roads can rank higher. Our dangerous streets study ranks city streets by crashes and deaths.

  • US-101 had 3,017 crashes inside City of Los Angeles limits in 2025, the most of any freeway route. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • I-5 had 2,528 crashes inside City of Los Angeles limits in 2025, the second most of any freeway route. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • I-405 had 2,283 crashes inside City of Los Angeles limits in 2025, the third most of any freeway route. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 238 freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 had no route number that could be read from the officer's road name. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Figueroa had 489 crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 as the main road or cross street, the most of any surface street. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Vermont had 406 crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 as the main road or cross street, the second most of any surface street. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • Western had 365 crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 as the main road or cross street, the third most of any surface street. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)

Crashes by freeway route inside City of Los Angeles limits, 2025

Crashes by freeway route inside City of Los Angeles limits, 2025US-101: 3,017 crashes; I-5: 2,528 crashes; I-405: 2,283 crashes; I-110: 2,222 crashes; I-10: 1,814 crashes; SR-118: 589 crashes; SR-110: 564 crashes; SR-134: 407 crashes; SR-170: 380 crashes; I-105: 337 crashes.US-101US-101: 3,017 crashes3,017I-5I-5: 2,528 crashes2,528I-405I-405: 2,283 crashes2,283I-110I-110: 2,222 crashes2,222I-10I-10: 1,814 crashes1,814SR-118SR-118: 589 crashes589SR-110SR-110: 564 crashes564SR-134SR-134: 407 crashes407SR-170SR-170: 380 crashes380I-105I-105: 337 crashes337
Data: Crashes by freeway route inside City of Los Angeles limits, 2025
Crashes
US-1013,017
I-52,528
I-4052,283
I-1102,222
I-101,814
SR-118589
SR-110564
SR-134407
SR-170380
I-105337

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Who is killed on freeways and surface streets in Los Angeles?

People killed on freeways were younger than those killed on surface streets in 2025: the median age was 35 on freeways and 46 on surface streets in the City of Los Angeles. Most pedestrians killed in city crashes, 136 of them, died on surface streets.

  • The median age of people killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 was 35. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • The median age of people killed in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 was 46. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 15 people under age 25 were killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 45 people under age 25 were killed in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 5 people aged 65 or older were killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 65 people aged 65 or older were killed in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 82.6 percent of the people killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 were male, among those with a known sex. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 74.2 percent of the people killed in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025 were male, among those with a known sex. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 29 pedestrians were killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 136 pedestrians were killed in surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 56.7 percent of U.S. crashes in which a pedestrian was crossing an expressway were fatal over the past five years (4,170 crashes), the highest fatality rate of any pedestrian crash type. (GHSA, Oct. 2026)

People killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by age group, 2025

People killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by age group, 20250-15: 1 people killed; 16-24: 14 people killed; 25-44: 42 people killed; 45-64: 8 people killed; 65+: 5 people killed; unknown: 0 people killed.0-150-15: 1 people killed116-2416-24: 14 people killed1425-4425-44: 42 people killed4245-6445-64: 8 people killed865+65+: 5 people killed5unknownunknown: 0 people killed0
Data: People killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by age group, 2025
People killed
0-151
16-2414
25-4442
45-648
65+5
unknown0

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

Are freeway deaths in Los Angeles going up?

CHP's records list at least 70 people killed in City of Los Angeles freeway crashes in 2025. CHP's yearly files are not equally complete, so we do not compare years from them. LAPD's weekly count is a better trend source for city streets, but it does not cover freeways.

  • CHP's records list 70 people killed in City of Los Angeles freeway crashes in 2025, in 68 fatal crashes. We do not compare that count with earlier years. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • LAPD's weekly COMPSTAT report counts fatal crashes on the streets LAPD covers. It does not publish a separate count for freeways, which CHP patrols. (LAPD COMPSTAT, Oct. 2026)
  • LAPD counted 247 fatal crashes citywide from Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, 2026, against 220 in the same period of 2025 (up 12.3 percent) and 233 in 2024. (LAPD COMPSTAT, Oct. 2026)
  • LAPD counted 111 fatal crashes between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian from Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, 2026, against 104 in the same period of 2025. (LAPD COMPSTAT, Oct. 2026)
  • For Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, CHP's file holds 181 of the 220 fatal crashes LAPD counted in 2025 and 171 of the 233 it counted in 2024. (LAPD COMPSTAT, Oct. 2026)

People killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by month, 2025

People killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by month, 2025Jan: 3 people killed; Feb: 6 people killed; Mar: 4 people killed; Apr: 5 people killed; May: 8 people killed; Jun: 4 people killed; Jul: 5 people killed; Aug: 6 people killed; Sep: 8 people killed; Oct: 10 people killed; Nov: 8 people killed; Dec: 3 people killed.025710Jan: 3 people killed3JanFeb: 6 people killed6FebMar: 4 people killed4MarApr: 5 people killed5AprMay: 8 people killed8MayJun: 4 people killed4JunJul: 5 people killed5JulAug: 6 people killed6AugSep: 8 people killed8SepOct: 10 people killed10OctNov: 8 people killed8NovDec: 3 people killed3Dec
Data: People killed in freeway crashes in the City of Los Angeles by month, 2025
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
People killed3645845681083

Source: CHP California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), City of Los Angeles rows, pulled Oct. 12, 2026.

How do Los Angeles freeway and urban crash deaths compare with California and the U.S.?

The City of Los Angeles had 7.9 percent of California's freeway crash deaths in 2025, according to CHP crash records. Statewide, most crash deaths happen in urban areas, according to IIHS and NHTSA.

  • California had 130,639 freeway crashes in CHP's records for 2025, using the same freeway rule as our City of Los Angeles figures. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 882 people were killed in freeway crashes across California in 2025. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • 7.9 percent of California's 2025 freeway crash deaths happened in the City of Los Angeles. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • People killed in freeway crashes made up 25.6 percent of all crash deaths in California in 2025, according to CHP crash records. (CHP CCRS, Oct. 2026)
  • According to IIHS, 2,812 of the 3,876 crash deaths in California in 2024 (73 percent) happened in urban areas. (IIHS, Oct. 2026)
  • NHTSA counted 3,008 traffic deaths in urban areas of California in 2023 (74 percent) and 1,042 in rural areas (26 percent), out of 4,061. (NHTSA, Oct. 2026)
  • According to IIHS, 34 percent of urban crash deaths in the United States in 2024 occurred at intersections, against 17 percent of rural crash deaths. (IIHS, Oct. 2026)
  • UC Berkeley SafeTREC lists 299 speeding-related traffic deaths in Los Angeles County in 2023. (UC Berkeley SafeTREC, Oct. 2026)

Methodology: how we counted and what to watch for

Source and pull date. Every Los Angeles number comes from the California Highway Patrol's California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published on data.ca.gov. We pulled the City of Los Angeles rows on Oct. 12, 2026 (29,915 crashes and 335 deaths in 2025) and joined CHP's party and victim tables. Statewide freeway figures use CHP's Oct. 16, 2026 pull.

How we define freeway and surface street. A freeway crash is a CCRS crash row where IsFreeway is True. A surface-street crash is any other crash row in the City of Los Angeles. People killed means every injured or killed person in those crashes whose injury level is Fatal. Freeway counts include freeways inside city limits only. The two groups add up to the hub's citywide totals: 15,202 freeway plus 14,713 surface-street crashes make 29,915, and 70 plus 265 deaths make 335.

Reporting gap between the two groups. Every one of the 15,202 freeway-flagged crash reports came from CHP, which patrols freeways and wrote 15,625 City of Los Angeles reports in 2025. LAPD wrote 14,280, all of them in the surface-street group. LAPD changed its records system between 2019 and 2021, and its crashes reach CCRS in smaller numbers than before, so surface-street crash and injury counts are likely undercounts. That is why we compare deaths, not crash counts or crash-per-death ratios, between the two groups.

What CCRS cannot tell us. It does not separate ramps from main lanes, and route numbers come from road names typed by officers. We did not pull traffic volume, so there are no per-mile or per-driver rates, and a busier road can rank high without being riskier. Street and route counts are totals, not rates.

No comparisons across years. CHP's file is less complete for some years than LAPD's own count. For Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, LAPD's COMPSTAT report counted 220 fatal crashes on its streets in 2025 and 233 in 2024, but CHP's file holds only 181 and 171 of them. So this page reports 2025 figures as published and does not compare years. The only year-to-year figures here are LAPD's own.

Other sources use different definitions. NHTSA counts speeding-related deaths, which is not the same as officers recording unsafe speed as the main cause. IIHS, NHTSA, GHSA, SafeTREC and LADOT figures cover the United States, California, Los Angeles County or the City of Los Angeles for the years named in each line, so we never add them to CCRS figures. You are free to quote any statistic on this page with credit to Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. and a link to this page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

More people die on surface streets in Los Angeles. CHP's records show 265 deaths in City of Los Angeles surface-street crashes in 2025 and 70 in freeway crashes. The data has no traffic volume, so it cannot say which type of road is riskier per mile driven.

70 people died in freeway crashes inside the City of Los Angeles in 2025, according to CHP crash records. That was 20.9 percent of the 335 deaths in city crashes. Those deaths came in 68 fatal freeway crashes.

Unsafe speed is the most common main cause of freeway crashes in Los Angeles. Officers recorded it in 7,089 City of Los Angeles freeway crashes in 2025, or 46.6 percent. Unsafe turns or lane changes came second at 20.6 percent, and 48.6 percent of freeway crashes were rear-end collisions.

US-101 had the most crashes of any freeway route inside City of Los Angeles limits in 2025, with 3,017. I-5 followed with 2,528 and I-405 with 2,283. These are totals, not rates, so long routes with heavy traffic rank higher.

The busiest hour for freeway crashes in Los Angeles is 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with 947 City of Los Angeles freeway crashes in that hour in 2025. 23.9 percent of freeway crashes happened between 3 p.m. and 6:59 p.m. Fatal freeway crashes lean toward night: 57.4 percent happened from 9 p.m. to 4:59 a.m.

The split mostly reflects who files the report. CHP wrote 15,625 City of Los Angeles crash reports in 2025 and LAPD wrote 14,280. LAPD-written crashes reach the state system in smaller numbers since its records change, so freeways show 50.8 percent of crashes but only 20.9 percent of deaths.

CHP investigates freeway crashes and LAPD investigates most surface-street crashes in the City of Los Angeles. In CHP's 2025 records, CHP wrote 15,625 city crash reports and LAPD wrote 14,280. Every freeway crash in those records (100 percent) was a CHP report.

CHP's records can't answer that reliably. They list 70 people killed in City of Los Angeles freeway crashes in 2025, but CHP's yearly files are not equally complete, so we do not compare years. LAPD counted 247 fatal crashes on its streets from Jan. 1 to Oct. 3, 2026, against 220 a year earlier, and it has no freeway count.

Figueroa had the most crashes of any surface street in the City of Los Angeles in 2025, with 489. Vermont had 406 and Western had 365. A crash counts for a street when it is the main road or the cross street, and these are totals, not rates.

If you were hurt in a freeway or street crash in Los Angeles, a car accident lawyer in Los Angeles can explain your options. This page is information, not legal advice.

Car Accident help near you: Altadena, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Canoga Park, Carson, Chatsworth, Compton, Culver City, Downey, El Monte, Encino, Glendale, Hollywood, Inglewood, Koreatown, Long Beach, North Hollywood, Northridge, Pasadena, Reseda, San Pedro, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Torrance, Van Nuys, Venice, West Hollywood, Westchester, Whittier, Wilmington, Woodland Hills.

Sources

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