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SAN FRANCISCO — Pedestrians are more likely to get hit by a car in Sacramento County than any other place in California, according to a new study released Thursday. 

Overall, more pedestrians were injured or killed by cars in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties last year. But the likelihood that a person will be struck on any given stroll was highest in and around the capital, the nonprofit Surface Transportation Policy Project reported. 

“Traffic engineers and public works have basically turned their backs on providing safe places for pedestrians,” James Corless, co-author of the study, said of Sacramento County. “It’s a high-growth area and they’re doing a lot of stuff that’s really dangerous. If there are sidewalks, they’re very narrow and right next to lanes of traffic.” 

The study concluded that the human and economic toll – from medical bills, lost work time and quality of life costs – topped $3.9 billion last year; 688 pedestrians died and 14,346 were injured on California streets, according to the study, which analyzed California Highway Patrol data. 

Nationwide, about 6,000 pedestrians are killed every year, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported. 

The problem is particularly acute in multilane suburban sprawl like that of Sacramento County. There, a drag-strip mentality can leave pedestrians cowering. In 1999, 30 pedestrians were killed and 516 were injured in Sacramento County traffic accidents. That’s about one death or injury per 2,200 county residents. 

But the quicker pace of cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco also forces pedestrians to scramble for sidewalk safety. 

Three pedestrians have been killed in as many weeks on San Francisco streets. On Monday, a 74-year-old retired electrician was struck and killed, the 23rd pedestrian to die in the city thus far this year, police said. 

Last year, with 26 deaths and 963 injuries, one in 800 San Franciscans was involved in a traffic accident. That rate was about twice as high as the next most accident-prone area, Los Angeles County, where one of every 1,750 residents was injured or killed in 1999. 

Still, the study rated Sacramento County more dangerous because people there walk less than in San Francisco or Los Angeles counties. 

Whether Californians are rich or poor also has a direct affect on how likely they are to get struck, Corless said. And since low income families are more likely to be members of a minority, race was also a factor. 

“Latinos and African Americans, especially children and the elderly, are at the highest risk,” the report said. That’s because they are less likely to have money to own and operate a car and must walk or take the bus to move around. 

If you want to lollygag across the street without care, move to San Luis Obispo County. For the second straight year, it was ranked the safest for pedestrians.