Sacramentans are no strangers to traffic, and with traffic comes fender benders and accidents, which are sometimes not only serious, but fatal. But one neighborhood in particular, the Broadway corridor in Oak Park, has become notorious for the excessive number of car accidents, injuries, and even accident-related fatalities. And it isn’t just the passengers of vehicles who are suffering: pedestrians and cyclists are also included in the unfortunate statistics.
Unfortunately, every fatal car accident victim has a family that is grieving the loss but also may be feeling the impact in other ways. Families who find themselves without a source of income due to the loss of a loved one, and sometimes the victims themselves, who must find the strength to fight for fair compensation to pay bills they shouldn’t have to pay for an accident they didn’t cause, are frequent clients of ours.
In our 30 years of helping people get the compensation they deserve for medical costs, rehabilitation, lost wages, and pain and suffering following a car accident, our approach has not changed: we fight for maximum, fair compensation for what they have been through and may continue to go through for years to come following the trauma of a car accident.
Efforts to Reduce Car Accidents in Sacramento
Thankfully, efforts aimed at reducing the number of car accidents in some of Sacramento’s most dangerous-to-navigate neighborhoods are underway. In 2017, the Sacramento City Council pledged to eliminate fatalities and severe injuries due to traffic accidents within ten years by adopting the Vision Zero initiative. The council seems to understand that infrastructure improvements and more resources, such as education and law enforcement, are crucial, and they have not only the power to effect changes but a duty as public servants.
With the goal date of 2027 nearing, Vision Zero has slowly but surely been adding a number of safety features to help protect everyone who travels by foot, bicycle, or vehicle, beginning with the neighborhoods that have the worst statistics for serious harm and death.
Most Recent Steps: Broadway Corridor in Oak Park
Though it may seem counterintuitive, the plan in place for overhauling Broadway calls for narrowing the street itself to accommodate protected “bicycle only” lanes. Between Martin Luther King Jr. and Stockton Boulevards, lanes will be removed, leaving two general driving lanes (one in each direction) and a center lane. The freed-up space will become bike lanes, just as the city has done on Broadway west of Freeport Boulevard.
The Department of Public Works has $1.3 million set aside for the engineering and planning phases; the construction phase is slated to begin in the summer of 2026, with a cost of over $4 million. When totally finished, Broadway will offer a continuous bikeable and walkable lane from Interstate 5 to Stockton Boulevard.
Other Project Zero improvements include:
- The installation of plastic posts to protect the newly added bike lanes from vehicles, located between MLK Jr. and Stockton Boulevards.
- The installation of improved pedestrian crossing mechanisms and infrastructure
- Bus stop enhancements to benefit people with disabilities
Progress to Lessen Injury Accidents Is Behind Schedule
Despite the city council’s efforts and the city’s actions, it is unlikely that Project Zero will meet its 2027 goal of no serious injuries or fatalities. That’s because, since 2017, over 300 people have died in car accidents on city streets in Sacramento. Seventeen of those incidents occurred in 2025, with 14 involving cyclists or pedestrians.
Injury Car Accident Statistics in Sacramento
Car accidents are often clustered in specific neighborhoods, for several reasons, including poor infrastructure, a high number of pedestrians and cyclists, unusual traffic patterns, and others. For example, in Sacramento, a city of approximately 525,000 people, a disproportionate number of fatal and severe injury accidents occur in a relatively low number of neighborhoods. This is referred to by the city as a high-injury network (HIN) and supported by comprehensive crash data.
Sacramento High Injury Network Data
Sacramento’s HIN is made up of about 14% of all Sacramento streets; shockingly, approximately 79% of all serious traffic crashes happen on this smaller network! Once mapped, Sacramento’s HIN can then allocate resources such as law enforcement and infrastructure changes to support a reduction of fatal and severe-injury accidents.
With the adoption of the Vision Zero Action Plan using the city’s HIN as a core element, the city uses a data-driven approach to reducing accidents, injuries, and deaths.
Sacramento’s Most Dangerous Streets and Intersections
Some of the streets and neighborhoods cited in the city’s HIN include busy thoroughfares south of downtown like Fruitridge Road, Stockton Boulevard, and Broadway. In the northern area of the city, danger zones include El Camino Avenue and Marysville Boulevard.
Affordable Sacramento Car Accident Attorneys
With our contingency fee structure that requires no money up front and a fee only if you win, everyone can afford an experienced, aggressive personal injury attorney who fights for a successful outcome for every client. We offer a free case review where you can ask questions and get the answers you need to understand your options.
Call our offices today at (916) 438-1819 to schedule your free consultation. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.