OAN’s James Meyers
11:20 AM – Wednesday, August 16, 2023
The city of Los Angeles’ pedestrian deaths continue to rise after the state of California legalized jaywalking in January of 2023. In a distinct move to reduce pedestrian deaths, the state legalized jaywalking, as what lawmakers are calling an equity-driven strategy.
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According to the Los Angeles Police Department, pedestrian fatalities are expected to reduce significantly from 2022’s 20-year high. Almost 75% of all pedestrian fatalities in the City of Angels involved jaywalkers.
Deputy District Attorney John McKinney, is calling the latest data on fatalities “predictable outcomes.”
“The new law, which legalized jaywalking, was enacted in January of 2023 and has already led to 19 fatalities due to unsafe crossings, out of the 26 pedestrian fatalities in Los Angeles through August 7th,” McKinney said. “California’s pedestrian fatality rate is already 25% above the national average.”
According to SAFE Director Damian Kevitt, in 2022, 157 pedestrians died in the city. The data also revealed traffic and cyclist fatalities both increased from 2021.
Additionally, SAFE stated that homeless people are 40 times more likely to be hit by a car compared to other pedestrians.
Fox Los Angeles, claimed jaywalking laws were repealed due to Democrat lawmakers in the Golden State. Their claims for the reasoning behind it is because it impacts poor and minority communities to a higher degree.
“When expensive tickets and unnecessary confrontations with police impact only certain communities, it’s time to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and whether our jaywalking laws really do protect pedestrians,” Democrat State Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-Calif.) said.
Experts predict the new jaywalking laws in Los Angeles could impact the rest of the United States moving forward.
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