Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Kern County, California
County in California · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 194
- Fatal crashes
- 173
- Population
- 924.6K
In 2024, 194 people died in 173 fatal crashes in Kern County, California. That was 6.0% more than in 2023 (183) and the most since 2022. The death rate was 21.0 per 100,000 residents, compared with 9.8 in California and 11.5 in the United States. Kern County had the 6th most traffic deaths among California's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 1,028 people died, an average of 206 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 25% of deaths, and 17% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
21.0
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About double the rate in California: 9.8
- About 1.8 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
22.5
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About double the average in California: 10.7
- About 1.8 times the average in the United States: 12.3
+6%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
183 deaths in 2023, 194 in 2024
- California: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 206 | 184 |
| 2021 | 225 | 208 |
| 2022 | 220 | 197 |
| 2023 | 183 | 170 |
| 2024 | 194 | 173 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 22.7 |
| 2021 | 24.7 |
| 2022 | 24.0 |
| 2023 | 19.9 |
| 2024 | 21.0 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
25%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 90 percent of the share in California: 28%
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 117 |
| Pedestrians | 48 |
| Motorcyclists | 19 |
| Cyclists | 10 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Kern County | Share in California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 48 | 25% | 28% |
| Motorcyclists | 19 | 10% | 13% |
| Cyclists | 10 | 5% | 4% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 58 | 30% | 34% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 40 | 21% | 29% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
17%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 60 percent of the share in California: 29%
- About 60 percent of the share in the United States: 28%
25%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in California: 27%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Kern County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 24.9% | 26.6% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 17.3% | 28.8% | 28.1% |
| At night | 58.4% | 62.0% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 37.6% | 34.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
58%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in California: 62%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
38%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in California: 34%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 41 |
| 1am | 26 |
| 2am | 43 |
| 3am | 38 |
| 4am | 29 |
| 5am | 40 |
| 6am | 39 |
| 7am | 19 |
| 8am | 15 |
| 9am | 17 |
| 10am | 19 |
| 11am | 25 |
| 12pm | 30 |
| 1pm | 27 |
| 2pm | 40 |
| 3pm | 33 |
| 4pm | 46 |
| 5pm | 39 |
| 6pm | 58 |
| 7pm | 43 |
| 8pm | 72 |
| 9pm | 57 |
| 10pm | 62 |
| 11pm | 47 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 163 |
| Mon | 116 |
| Tue | 135 |
| Wed | 106 |
| Thu | 118 |
| Fri | 147 |
| Sat | 147 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 77 |
| Feb | 68 |
| Mar | 79 |
| Apr | 61 |
| May | 72 |
| Jun | 91 |
| Jul | 66 |
| Aug | 78 |
| Sep | 80 |
| Oct | 85 |
| Nov | 91 |
| Dec | 84 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 805 |
| Cloudy | 67 |
| Rain | 23 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 16 |
| Snow | 2 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 2 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 329 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 314 |
| Dark - Lighted | 232 |
| Dawn | 26 |
| Dusk | 21 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 7 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- SR-9954
- SR-17848
- SR-5848
- I-537
- SR-1418
- SR-4314
- SR-6514
- UNION AVE13
- PANAMA LN12
- SR-4611
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 563 |
| SUVs | 241 |
| Pickup trucks | 233 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 157 |
| Motorcycles | 124 |
| Other vehicles | 63 |
| Vans | 33 |
| Other light trucks | 4 |
| Buses | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Honda Accord51
- Honda Civic46
- Chevrolet Silverado45
- Toyota Camry40
- Freightliner Cascadia38
- Ford F-15030
- GMC Sierra27
- Toyota Tacoma26
- Toyota Corolla23
- Nissan Sentra22
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2024 | — | I-5 | 1 |
| Mar 21, 2024 | — | SR-33 | 1 |
| Mar 16, 2024 | Bakersfield | S STERLING RD | 1 |
| Mar 15, 2024 | — | CR-WHEELER RIDGE RD | 1 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | Bakersfield | COTTONWOOD RD | 1 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | — | CR-POND RD | 1 |
| Mar 12, 2024 | Bakersfield | GOSFORD RD | 1 |
| Mar 11, 2024 | — | FRONTAGE RD | 1 |
| Mar 1, 2024 | — | SR-65 | 1 |
| Feb 28, 2024 | — | TEJON HWY | 1 |
| Feb 27, 2024 | Shafter | ZERKER RD | 1 |
| Feb 27, 2024 | — | RIVER BLVD | 1 |
| Feb 25, 2024 | Bakersfield | WIMBLE RD | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2024 | — | HAGEMAN RD | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2024 | — | S UNION AVE | 3 |
| Feb 21, 2024 | Bakersfield | COLUMBUS ST | 1 |
| Feb 21, 2024 | — | SR-14 | 1 |
| Feb 20, 2024 | Bakersfield | OLD RIVER RD | 1 |
| Feb 17, 2024 | — | PIONEER DR | 1 |
| Feb 16, 2024 | — | SR-138 LANCASTER RD | 1 |
| Feb 15, 2024 | Bakersfield | COTTONWOOD RD | 1 |
| Feb 14, 2024 | Bakersfield | PALADINO DR | 1 |
| Feb 13, 2024 | — | SR-99 | 1 |
| Feb 12, 2024 | — | I-5 RAMP | 1 |
| Feb 9, 2024 | Bakersfield | PLANZ RD | 2 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Kern County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 47 | 11.2 |
| Wasco | 4 | 14.8 |
Nearby counties
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.