Fresno County is the deadliest place in California when it comes to red light running, according to a report by Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE). Photo by Calysia Ramos on unsplash.com

Fresno County is the deadliest place for red light running in California, according to a new report.

Released this week, the report “The Hidden Cost of Red Light Running in California,” developed by Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE), found that Fresno County has the highest per-capita rate of deaths and serious injuries from red light running and intersection violations among the state’s large counties.

Fresno County leads counties with populations over 750,000 with 6.86 fatalities or serious injuries per 100,000—significantly higher than Los Angeles at 4.26 fatalities and San Francisco at 5.09 fatalities.

Between 2021 and 2023, 55 people were killed and 153 were seriously injured in Fresno County due to intersection violations, averaging 18 deaths and 51 injuries per year.

The report also documented local tragedies, including recent Clovis East graduates Maddux Greene, 18, and Jordan Galvez, 19, killed in May 2025 when a driver ran a redlight at Clovis and Shields avenues.

Other Central Valley counties that made the list of the 20 most dangerous counties for red light and intersection violations are Kings County with 7.63 average fatalities and severe injuries per capita, Tulare with 6.17.

“These aren’t just statistics – they’re mothers, fathers, children, and friends whose lives were stolen,” said Damian Kevitt, executive director of SAFE. “Fresno County’s ranking as the deadliest in the state shows we’re facing a crisis at our intersections.”

The five most dangerous counties per capita when looking at only the largest counties in California by population are:

• Fresno County (6.86)
• San Francisco County (5.09)
• Kern County (4.94)
• Sacramento County (4.66)
• San Bernardino County (4.57)
• Los Angeles County (4.26)

 

Altogether, more than $7.9 billion was drained from California in just three years due to red light running — money that could go to schools, hospitals and infrastructure, according to the report.