A Khamo Law analysis of five years of official Michigan crash data reveals which counties recorded the most pedestrian and bicycle crashes—and where people suffered the most serious injuries.
Pedestrians and cyclists are among the most vulnerable people on Michigan roads. When a vehicle strikes someone walking or riding a bicycle, even a single crash can result in life-changing injuries or death.
But where are these crashes happening most often?
Khamo Law analyzed five years of official Michigan Traffic Crash Facts data covering 2020 through 2024 to identify the Michigan counties recording the greatest numbers of pedestrian and bicycle crashes—and the greatest numbers of pedestrians and cyclists killed or seriously injured.
The results reveal a clear geographic pattern: Metro Detroit stands out.
Wayne County recorded the highest number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured during the five-year period. Oakland County ranked second. For bicyclists, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties ranked first, second and third in Michigan, respectively.
The findings are particularly relevant for communities across Metro Detroit, where Khamo Law’s Michigan personal injury attorneys regularly represent people and families affected by serious crashes.
Khamo Law analyzed official Michigan crash data from 2020–2024 to identify the counties with the most pedestrian and bicyclist crashes and serious injuries. Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts.
Key Findings
Our analysis of Michigan’s 2020–2024 crash data found:
- Wayne County ranked No. 1 in Michigan for pedestrians killed or seriously injured.
- Oakland County ranked No. 2 for serious pedestrian outcomes.
- Wayne, Oakland and Macomb ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 for bicyclists killed or seriously injured.
- Michigan recorded 9,614 pedestrian-involved crashes during the five-year period.
- Michigan recorded 7,065 bicyclist-involved crashes during the same period.
- Pedestrian crashes represented only 0.69% of Michigan crashes but 16.7% of fatal crashes during the five-year period.
- 71.4% of fatal pedestrian crashes occurred under dark conditions.
These findings are based on official Michigan crash records. The county rankings measure the number of crashes and serious crash outcomes, not an individual’s statistical risk of being involved in a crash. Counties with larger populations, more traffic, and more people walking or cycling may naturally record higher raw totals.
Michigan Counties With the Most Pedestrians Killed or Seriously Injured
Michigan Traffic Crash Facts classifies crash injuries using the KABCO injury scale. For this analysis, we combined:
- K — Fatal injury
- A — Suspected serious injury
Together, these are referred to as KA injuries.
Wayne County recorded the highest number of pedestrians killed or suffering suspected serious injuries in Michigan from 2020–2024. Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts.
The following Michigan counties recorded the highest numbers of pedestrians killed or seriously injured from 2020 through 2024:
| Rank | County | Pedestrians Killed or Seriously Injured |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne | 836 |
| 2 | Oakland | 269 |
| 3 | Kent | 251 |
| 4 | Macomb | 204 |
| 5 | Genesee | 139 |
| 6 | Kalamazoo | 108 |
| 7 | Washtenaw | 98 |
| 8 | Ingham | 92 |
| 9 | Saginaw | 57 |
| 10 | Ottawa | 42 |
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — 2020–2024 Crash Density Maps
Across Michigan, 2,844 pedestrians were killed or suffered suspected serious injuries in crashes during the five-year period.
Metro Detroit Stands Out
Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties together recorded 1,309 pedestrian deaths or suspected serious injuries between 2020 and 2024.
Wayne County alone recorded 836, more than three times Oakland County’s total of 269.
That does not mean someone walking in Wayne County is three times more likely to be seriously injured than someone walking in Oakland County. These rankings are based on raw crash totals and are not adjusted for population, traffic volume or the number of people walking in each county.
Still, the concentration of serious pedestrian crashes across Metro Detroit is significant—particularly for communities in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
People injured while walking may face significant medical bills, lost income and long-term physical consequences. Khamo Law provides additional information about Michigan pedestrian injury cases on our Michigan pedestrian accident lawyer page.
Which Michigan Counties Have the Most Pedestrian Crashes?
When we look at all pedestrian-involved crashes, rather than only deaths and suspected serious injuries, Wayne County remains far ahead of the rest of Michigan.
| Rank | County | Pedestrian Crashes, 2020–2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne | 3,072 |
| 2 | Kent | 927 |
| 3 | Oakland | 916 |
| 4 | Macomb | 698 |
| 5 | Washtenaw | 424 |
| 6 | Genesee | 385 |
| 7 | Ingham | 366 |
| 8 | Kalamazoo | 320 |
| 9 | Ottawa | 168 |
| 10 | Saginaw | 158 |
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — 2020–2024 Crash Density Maps
Michigan recorded 9,614 pedestrian-involved crashes statewide during the five-year period.
Wayne County accounted for roughly 32% of them.
Michigan Counties With the Most Bicyclists Killed or Seriously Injured
The bicycle data reveal an even clearer Metro Detroit pattern.
The three counties with the highest numbers of bicyclists killed or seriously injured were Wayne, Oakland and Macomb.
| Rank | County | Bicyclists Killed or Seriously Injured |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne | 187 |
| 2 | Oakland | 106 |
| 3 | Macomb | 82 |
| 4 | Kent | 74 |
| 5 | Washtenaw | 51 |
| 6 | Kalamazoo | 37 |
| 7 | Ottawa | 31 |
| 8 | Ingham | 26 |
| 9 | Genesee | 22 |
| 10 (tie) | Muskegon | 18 |
| 10 (tie) | Saginaw | 18 |
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — 2020–2024 Crash Density Maps
Statewide, 932 bicyclists were killed or suffered suspected serious injuries in crashes during the five-year period.
That gives us one of the clearest findings from the entire study:
Wayne, Oakland and Macomb were Michigan’s top three counties by total number of bicyclists killed or seriously injured from 2020 through 2024.
Which Michigan Counties Have the Most Bicycle Crashes?
The overall bicycle-crash totals show the same three Metro Detroit counties at the top:
| Rank | County | Bicycle Crashes, 2020–2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne | 1,615 |
| 2 | Oakland | 818 |
| 3 | Macomb | 711 |
| 4 | Kent | 672 |
| 5 | Washtenaw | 387 |
| 6 | Ottawa | 319 |
| 7 | Ingham | 304 |
| 8 | Kalamazoo | 255 |
| 9 | Genesee | 170 |
| 10 | Muskegon | 131 |
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — 2020–2024 Crash Density Maps
Michigan recorded 7,065 bicyclist-involved crashes during the five-year period.
What Happened to Michigan Pedestrians in 2024?
The most recent complete annual Michigan crash data show that 2,281 pedestrians were involved in 2,131 motor-vehicle crashes in 2024.
Among those pedestrians:
- 156 were killed
- 1,809 were injured
- 441 suffered suspected serious injuries
Michigan State Police also reports that pedestrian-involved crashes increased from 2,114 in 2023 to 2,131 in 2024, while pedestrian fatalities decreased from 183 to 156. View the Michigan State Police 2024 Statewide Traffic Crash Data Year-End Report.
The five-year data show why pedestrian crashes deserve particular attention.
Although pedestrian-involved crashes represented only 0.69% of Michigan crashes from 2020 through 2024, they accounted for 16.7% of fatal crashes.
Even more striking, 87.4% of pedestrian-involved crashes resulted in a death or injury to at least one person, compared with 17.3% of crashes involving only motor vehicles.
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — Pedestrian-Involved Crashes in Michigan, 2020–2024
In other words, pedestrian crashes make up a relatively small portion of Michigan’s overall crashes—but their consequences are disproportionately severe.
Michigan Bicycle Crashes Jumped 20% in 2024
Michigan’s bicycle crash numbers moved sharply in the wrong direction in 2024.
According to Michigan State Police, bicycle-involved crashes increased from 1,480 in 2023 to 1,773 in 2024—a 20% increase.
Bicyclist fatalities increased from 24 to 29, a 21% increase.
A total of 1,790 bicyclists were involved in motor-vehicle crashes during 2024.
For people injured in these crashes, determining insurance coverage and legal responsibility can become complicated. Khamo Law discusses these issues further on our Michigan bicycle and pedestrian accident resources.
Darkness Plays a Major Role in Fatal Pedestrian Crashes
One of the most striking findings in Michigan’s five-year pedestrian analysis involves lighting conditions.
Dark conditions were present in 43% of all pedestrian-involved crashes—but in 71.4% of fatal pedestrian crashes.
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — Pedestrian-Involved Crashes in Michigan, 2020–2024
That does not prove darkness itself caused those crashes. Driver speed, visibility, road design, impairment, distraction and other factors may contribute.
However, the difference is notable: fatal pedestrian crashes were much more concentrated during dark conditions than pedestrian crashes overall.
When Are Michigan Pedestrians and Cyclists Being Hit?
Time of day also reveals notable patterns.
In 2024, Michigan recorded its largest number of pedestrian crashes during the 6:00–6:59 p.m. hour, when 163 crashes occurred.
October recorded the largest number of pedestrian-involved crashes of any month, with 225.
For bicyclists, involvement peaked during the 4:00–4:59 p.m. hour, when 199 bicyclists were involved in crashes.
Bicyclist fatalities, however, peaked during 8:00–8:59 a.m., when five bicyclists were killed.
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — 2024 Fact Sheets
These patterns suggest that periods when Michigan roads are busy with commuters can also coincide with significant pedestrian and bicycle crash activity.
Crossing Away From an Intersection Was the Most Common Action Among Pedestrians Killed in 2024
Michigan’s 2024 data show that 53 pedestrian fatalities—about 34% of all pedestrian deaths that year—involved pedestrians who were not crossing at an intersection before the crash. Michigan State Police independently reports the figure as 33.97%.
That statistic should not be interpreted as automatically assigning fault to the pedestrian.
Pedestrian crashes can involve many factors, including driver speed, distraction, failure to yield, impairment, lighting, visibility and roadway design. Legal responsibility depends on the circumstances of each crash.
Alcohol and Drugs Appear More Often in Pedestrian-Involved Crashes
Michigan’s five-year analysis found alcohol and/or drugs reported as a factor in 11.1% of pedestrian-involved crashes, compared with 3.7% of crashes involving only motor vehicles.
Source: Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — Pedestrian-Involved Crashes in Michigan, 2020–2024
That is approximately three times the share found in motor-vehicle-only crashes.
Importantly, the statistic does not mean the pedestrian was necessarily impaired. Alcohol or drugs could have been associated with a driver, pedestrian or another person involved in the crash.
Why Metro Detroit Deserves Particular Attention
Across multiple measures, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties repeatedly appear near the top of Michigan’s rankings.
For pedestrians killed or seriously injured:
- Wayne — No. 1
- Oakland — No. 2
- Macomb — No. 4
For bicyclists killed or seriously injured:
- Wayne — No. 1
- Oakland — No. 2
- Macomb — No. 3
For all bicycle crashes, Wayne, Oakland and Macomb occupy the top three positions statewide.
That consistency makes pedestrian and bicycle safety especially important across Metro Detroit.
What Michigan Drivers Can Do
Drivers can help protect pedestrians and bicyclists by slowing down in areas with heavy foot or bicycle traffic, checking carefully before turning, yielding where required, avoiding distractions and never driving while impaired.
Pedestrians and bicyclists can also take steps to increase visibility, follow traffic controls and use designated crossings or bicycle facilities where practical.
No precaution eliminates every risk. Drivers still have a responsibility to operate their vehicles safely around people walking and cycling.
How We Conducted This Analysis
Khamo Law analyzed official Michigan Traffic Crash Facts data covering calendar years 2020 through 2024, the latest complete five-year period currently available through the state’s annual crash publications.
The primary county rankings use the number of pedestrians or bicyclists suffering K or A injuries:
- K — Fatal injury
- A — Suspected serious injury
Separate rankings examine the total number of pedestrian- and bicyclist-involved crashes.
Michigan Traffic Crash Facts publishes crash statistics using Michigan crash-report data and currently lists statewide and county/community annual publications through 2024. View Michigan Traffic Crash Facts annual publications.
Important Limitation
These rankings use raw crash totals.
They are not population-adjusted or exposure-adjusted risk rates. A county with more residents, more vehicle traffic, or more people walking and cycling may naturally record more crashes.
The analysis therefore identifies where Michigan recorded the largest numbers of crashes and serious outcomes, rather than declaring that an individual person is statistically more likely to be hit in one county than another.
The five-year period also includes 2020 and 2021, when pandemic-era changes affected travel patterns.
Sources
This analysis relies primarily on official Michigan traffic-crash data:
- Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — 2020–2024 Crash Density Maps
- Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — 2024 Fact Sheets
- Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — Pedestrian-Involved Crashes in Michigan, 2020–2024
- Michigan Traffic Crash Facts — Annual Crash Publications
- Michigan State Police — 2024 Statewide Traffic Crash Data Year-End Report
For Journalists, Researchers and Community Organizations
Journalists, researchers and community organizations are welcome to cite this analysis with attribution to Khamo Law and a link to this report.
For interview requests, methodology questions or additional information about the analysis, contact Khamo Law.
When referencing this study online, please cite:
Khamo Law, “Where Pedestrians and Cyclists Are Being Hit Most in Michigan: A 5-Year Crash Analysis,” 2026.
About Khamo Law
Khamo Law represents people injured in serious motor-vehicle, pedestrian and other accidents throughout Michigan. With offices in Troy and Sterling Heights, the firm’s Michigan personal injury attorneys serve clients throughout Metro Detroit and across the state.
If you or a family member has been injured because of another person’s negligence, contact Khamo Law for a free consultation.