Summary: Los Angeles has seen a rise in serious traffic crashes this year, with the LAPD reporting 750 incidents — a 5% increase year over year. Officers are concentrating enforcement at intersections with repeated crash histories (notably Figueroa & 7th), targeting phone use and illegal micromobility behavior. E-bikes and e-scooters have added risk, with 54 car–e-bike collisions reported and at least one fatal e-scooter-on-sidewalk incident. Authorities say lasting solutions require infrastructure upgrades, clearer rules for micromobility, and cultural change.
LAPD Targets High-Risk Intersections As Distracted Driving And Micromobility Crashes Rise
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Los Angeles motor officers stationed at busy intersections are deliberately watching for risky behavior — from drivers fumbling phones at red lights to e-scooter riders using sidewalks. The Los Angeles Police Department says serious traffic crashes that result in injury or death are rising this year, and enforcement is being concentrated where crash data shows the greatest danger.
Rising Crash Counts And Targeted Enforcement
The LAPD reports 750 serious crashes so far this year, a 5% increase compared with the same period last year. Rather than random patrols, motor units are targeting intersections with repeated crash histories, pulling over motorists observed holding phones or otherwise breaking traffic laws.
Where Officers Are Concentrating Patrols
Enforcement is focused on several documented hot spots, including:
- Figueroa St & 7th St (Downtown) — 11 crashes so far in 2026
- Highland Ave & Pat Moore Way (near Hollywood Bowl) — 6 crashes
- Century Blvd & Main St (South L.A.) — 5 crashes
- Sherman Way (near Valley freeway entrance) — 5 crashes
Micromobility Adds Complexity
E-bikes and e-scooters have shifted from novelty to significant safety factors. The city recorded 54 crashes this year involving a car and an e-bike, and police report at least one fatal incident in which an e-scooter struck a pedestrian on a sidewalk. Officers warn that many riders operate illegally on sidewalks or ignore traffic controls, and infrastructure has not kept pace with rapid adoption.
Why This Matters
Survey data show drivers are aware of the risk: the 2025 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey found more than 71% of motorists view texting or checking phone notifications while driving as a major safety concern. Yet risky behavior persists. Countywide figures underline the stakes: Los Angeles County recorded 526 traffic deaths in 2025, and California documented 158 distracted-driving deaths in 2023 — a figure experts say may undercount the true toll.
Sgt. Ryan Klepper, who supervises the motor unit conducting the targeted stops, describes the work as constant scanning and cataloging of behaviors likely to cause crashes. Enforcement at high-risk intersections turns abstract violations into immediate, enforceable hazards.
Enforcement, Limits, And Longer-Term Fixes
The LAPD issued more than 5,000 distracted-driving citations in 2022 and is increasingly using technology to map high-risk corridors. Focused intersection campaigns are a surgical enforcement tactic: they aim to change behavior where crashes repeatedly occur. However, visible enforcement alone often produces temporary improvements; sustained change will likely require infrastructure upgrades, clearer micromobility rules, and a cultural shift treating distracted driving with the same seriousness as impaired driving.
What drivers and pedestrians can do: keep your attention on the road, leave extra buffer distance, pause a fraction of a second before moving on green, and give space to micromobility users. If you regularly travel through the listed intersections, expect stepped-up patrols and enforcement.
Reporting note: All figures cited are from LAPD and public surveys released by year. Intersection counts reflect crashes reported so far this year (2026) at the named locations.
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