Pedestrian

Safety Story with Kari Finley

For this installment of Stories from the Field, UC Berkeley SafeTREC’s Kris Leckie chatted with Dr. Kari Finley, Director and Research Scholar at Montana State University’s Center for Health and Safety Culture. In this conversation, she talks to us about her work to create a culture that supports and values all road users and meets the needs of everyone. Read her Safety Story below!

Do you mind telling us about your center and the role you play within it?

Dr. Kari Finley: At the Center for...

Community Pedestrian Bicycle Safety Program (CPBSP)

Launched by the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) in collaboration with California Walks, the Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program aims to reduce fatalities and serious injuries incurred by pedestrians and bicyclists in California communities. The CPBSP prioritizes working in communities that are at disproportionate risk for road traffic injuries...

Safety Story with Marianne Hernandez

For this installment of Stories from the Field, UC Berkeley SafeTREC’s Kris Leckie chatted with Marianne Hernandez, from the California Department of Public Health’s Active Transportation Safety Program. In this conversation, she talks to us about her work to improve safety for those who walk, bike, and roll across California as a public health professional. Read her Safety Story below!

Do you mind telling us about your agency and the role you play within it?

Marianne Hernandez: I am a Health Program Specialist for the California...

The Role of Media and Road Safety

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 39,345 people in the United States died in traffic crashes in 2024. This represents a decrease of about 3.8% compared to the 40,901 fatalities reported in 2023 and marks the first time since 2020 that the number of fatalities fell below 40,000.

“It’s encouraging to see that traffic fatalities are continuing to fall from their COVID pandemic highs. Total road...

Funding and Programming Opportunities

What is the Funding and Programming Opportunities page and how do I navigate it?

The updated and refreshed Funding and Programming Opportunities page features funding and programmatic resources for transportation safety professionals, planners, advocates, community members, and others alike who want to create more equitable, walkable, and bikeable communities. Resources are organized into five topic areas:

Regional Opportunities; Statewide Opportunities; Federal Opportunities; ...

Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Data by County

To support California counties with Pedestrian/Bicycle Master Plans, we have included county-specific pedestrian and bicycle crash data from 2020 - 2024 (SWITRS 2020 - 2024/Provisional 2024 update as of June 16th, 2025) below.

The following time series, interactive maps and accompanying tables aim to give a brief overview of pedestrian and bicycle crash data on a state and county wide level across California. All visuals and data from tables can be easily downloaded from this page, simply click the icon at the top right of each visual and select the...

Caltrans Policies

What is Caltrans?

Caltrans is the California Department of Transportation and is responsible for providing a safe, sustainable, efficient and integrated transportation system that meets the needs of all roadway users in California.

One of Caltrans' primary goals is to promote health through safe active transportation and reduced air pollution. Explore the policy documents listed below to better understand Caltrans guiding principles for making streets safer for people walking and rolling. Do you know of a Caltrans policy...

Vulnerable Road User Laws and Anti-Harassment Ordinances

What are vulnerable road user laws?

Vulnerable road user laws are commonly adopted at the state level and intend to protect vulnerable road users, including people walking, biking, or rolling, from intentionally or negligently motor vehicle driver behavior resulting in injury or death.

These laws protect anyone using shared roadways that are not protected by the steel frame of an automobile and operate on the principle of general deterrence, where there is an increased penalty for those whose motor vehicle driver behavior leads to death or serious injury of vulnerable road users....

California Vehicle Code

The California Vehicle Code (C.V.C) is a rulebook containing information about traffic laws in California. Specific sections of the C.V.C defining rules and laws for pedestrian and bicycle travel are described below. For a detailed catalog of active transportation legislation and resolutions aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle safety on California roadways, visit our...

April 2025: Highlighting road safety statistics during Distracted Driving and Alcohol Awareness Month

April 25, 2025
Submitted by Karen Nguyen Vo

April marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Alcohol Awareness Month, where people are encouraged to explore and consider the negative impacts of distracted driving and alcohol-related issues, respectively. Driving while distracted or intoxicated pose major dangers to all road users, including those who walk, bike, and roll and have less physical barriers against dangerous drivers.

The 2024 SafeTREC Traffic Safety Facts provides the latest traffic safety data from the ...