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Portland 2024: A Year in Road Accidents

Posted on Sep 23, 2025 by The Advocates

Portland experienced a decrease in traffic fatalities in 2024, with 58 lives lost, a welcome reduction from the record high of 69 deaths in 2023. While it’s reassuring to see the numbers drop, each loss represents a family, a community, and a reminder of the ongoing need for vigilance on the road.

Fatal Accidents Breakdown:

A notable aspect of 2024’s traffic accidents is that 71% of deadly crashes occurred on High Crash Network streets, which, despite being responsible for the majority of fatalities, make up only 8% of Portland’s total street network. This discrepancy highlights the importance of addressing these high-risk areas for better traffic management and safety improvements.

The majority of the traffic deaths, 43 (74%), occurred on city streets. The remaining 15 deaths (26%) took place on state-owned roads and highways, with particular concentrations on surface streets such as N Lombard Street and US-30B, as well as interstate highway ramps and interchanges, where speeds are intended to be slower, yet still present significant risks.

A troubling statistic is that nearly 48% of all traffic deaths in Portland in 2024 involved speeding. This clearly demonstrates that while traffic fatalities are decreasing overall, the role of speed remains a major contributing factor to these tragic accidents. Speeding on both urban streets and highways continues to be a critical issue that needs to be addressed with both education and stricter enforcement.

Additionally, it’s important to note the age range of those involved in fatal crashes, which varied from as young as 4 years old to 84 years old, with an average age of 40. This wide range underscores the fact that traffic safety is an issue that impacts all demographics, with 12% of the deaths affecting youth under the age of 18.

Looking at the gender breakdown, 74% of the traffic fatalities were male, while 26% were female. This difference highlights an ongoing trend that could point to varying risk factors between genders, including behavior, vehicle choice, and other factors that contribute to accident involvement.

While the decrease in fatalities is encouraging, the statistics of 2024 remind us that there is still work to be done in making Portland’s streets safer for everyone. With speeding, high-risk zones, and a range of age groups affected, continued efforts are necessary to further reduce the number of lives lost to traffic accidents.

In 2024, 38% of traffic deaths occurred on the 8% of city streets where the posted speed limits are above 30 mph. 

If we compare this to the last five years, these same streets (those with speeds above 30 mph) have accounted for 41% of traffic deaths.

So, out of all traffic deaths in the last five years, 41% happened on these high-speed city streets. This shows a significant risk associated with streets where the speed limit exceeds 30 mph, even though they make up just 8% of the city’s total street network.

In 2024, youth fatalities in traffic crashes were three times higher than in the previous five years. This marked a significant increase, with 12% of all traffic deaths involving individuals under the age of 18. This sharp rise highlights the growing concern about young people’s safety on the road.

Pedestrian Accidents in 2024 – Portland:

  • Pedestrian Deaths: In 2024, pedestrians accounted for 36% of traffic crash deaths, with 21 pedestrians killed in accidents.
  • Comparison to Previous Years:
    • From 2020 to 2024, pedestrian fatalities averaged 24 deaths per year, compared to 15 deaths per year from 2015 to 2019.
    • 2024 marks the second consecutive year with fewer pedestrian deaths since the peak of 28 deaths in 2022.
    • Pedestrian fatalities in 2021 were 27 deaths, and 28 deaths in 2022, with over 40% of traffic deaths being pedestrian-related in both years.
  • Nighttime Conditions:
    • In 2024, 83% of all traffic deaths occurred in nighttime conditions (dusk, night, and dawn), compared to the five-year average of 74%.
    • 86% of all pedestrian deaths occurred during these nighttime hours, with a five-year average of 87%.
  • Single-Vehicle Crashes:
    • In the past five years, 19% of traffic deaths were from single-vehicle crashes (where a driver or motorcyclist crashes into a fixed object or leaves the road).
    • 2024 saw a slight decline in these deaths, with 9 fatalities compared to an average of 12 deaths per year from 2019 to 2023.
  • Impaired Driving:
    • Impaired driving (due to alcohol and/or drugs) remains a major contributing factor in deadly crashes.
    • Of the 35 deadly crashes where toxicology data is available, 31% involved an impaired driver, leading to 13 fatalities.
  • Bicycle Accidents:
    • In 2024, 3 cyclists were killed in Portland.
    • From 2019 to 2023, there was an average of 2 deaths per year from cycling accidents, with figures ranging from no deaths in 2021 to 5 deaths in 2020.

Houselessness and Traffic Violence:

Community members experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by traffic violence. While they represent only 0.7% of Multnomah County’s population, they made up 21% of Portland’s traffic deaths in 2024. This troubling trend has persisted since 2022, with approximately 20% of traffic deaths each year involving people experiencing homelessness.

Hit-and-Run Crashes:

Although hit-and-run fatalities have declined since recent highs, with 14 deaths in 2021 and 17 in 2022, they still remain a significant issue. In 2024, 10 people lost their lives in hit-and-run crashes, which is slightly higher than the eight fatalities recorded in 2023.

Large Vehicles Involved in Fatal Crashes:

Large vehicles continue to play a key role in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. In 2024, 14 out of 25 deaths involving pedestrians or cyclists (56%) were caused by collisions with larger vehicles, including vans, pick-up trucks, SUVs, semi-trucks, and buses. Among these, two fatalities were caused specifically by collisions with box trucks, semi-trucks, or buses. The vehicle type remained unknown in four crashes, including hit-and-run incidents. In 2024, PBOT and PPB began specifically tracking the type of vehicle involved in deadly crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists.

Large Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety:

Research indicates that larger vehicles, such as vans, pickups, SUVs, and semis, significantly increase the risk to pedestrians. These vehicles are typically heavier and have higher hood heights, which make them particularly dangerous in crashes involving pedestrians.

  • Visibility Issues:
     Vehicles with taller hood heights make it more difficult for drivers to spot pedestrians, especially in urban environments where foot traffic is high. This increases the likelihood of collisions, particularly in areas where pedestrian traffic is dense.
  • Severity of Injury:
     In the event of a crash, these larger vehicles tend to strike pedestrians higher on the body (e.g., the torso, as opposed to the legs). This greatly increases the severity of injuries, often leading to life-threatening or fatal consequences.
  • Speed Impact:
     The severity of pedestrian injuries becomes even more pronounced at speeds greater than 20 mph. Studies show that as vehicles exceed this speed, the potential for severe injury or death to pedestrians rises dramatically, especially when larger vehicles are involved.

Portland’s Road Safety Improvements in 2024: Key Projects for a Safer City

Portland is making significant strides toward improving road safety with a variety of projects aimed at addressing traffic hazards and enhancing the overall infrastructure. While some projects have already been completed, others are still in progress. Here’s an overview of the key initiatives, both finished and underway, in 2024:

Projects in 2024

Completed Projects:

  • 82nd Avenue: Street Lighting – Enhanced street lighting to improve visibility and safety.
  • Central Eastside Access and Circulation – Upgraded infrastructure to optimize traffic flow and accessibility.

Ongoing Projects Started:

  • NE Killingsworth Safer Crossings Project – Upgrading pedestrian crossings to improve safety.
  • SW Fourth Avenue Improvement Project – Enhancing roads to accommodate safer traffic movement.
  • 82nd Avenue: Major Maintenance – Ongoing maintenance to ensure road conditions are safe and well-maintained.