Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Santa Barbara, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 653
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 77
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 4
- fatal
- street with the most
- State St
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Santa Barbara safe to ride a bike?
This page covers traffic crashes, not crime. We don't rate cities as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a street is, and busy streets have more crashes partly because more people use them. What the records show: 653 bike crashes were reported in Santa Barbara from 2021–2026, 77 of them serious or fatal (4 fatal). The most were at Anacapa St & Carrillo St (19). 21% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Santa Barbara
- 21% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Santa Barbara
- 21% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 4% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 12% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 2% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 8 crashes: loose material on the road (3), holes or deep ruts (3) and a construction or repair zone (2).
Set against all bike crashes in California, 2021–2026. Without traffic counts these can't say how risky a street is.
Where bike crashes cluster
Spots with 3 or more reported crashes within about 250 m, worst first.
- 0119 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Anacapa St & Carrillo St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0217 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
State St & Hitchcock Way
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 4 of 17, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0313 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
State St & Mission St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0418 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Castillo St & Montecito St
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 3 of 18, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0513 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Carrillo St & San Pascual St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0619 crashes
State St & Ontare Rd
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 9 of 19, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0711 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
De La Vina St & Pedregosa St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0815 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Cota St & State St
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 4 of 15, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear. 40% happened after dark.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- 0914 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Milpas St & Haley St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 1014 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Milpas St & Cacique St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Santa Barbara
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| State St | 105 | 13 |
| Cabrillo Blvd | 36 | 3 |
| De La Vina St | 35 | 3 |
| Milpas St | 33 | 3 |
| Carrillo St | 28 | 2 |
| Castillo St | 22 | 4 |
| Modoc Rd | 22 | 3 |
| Canon Perdido St | 17 | 1 |
| Cliff Dr | 16 | 4 |
| Mission St | 16 | 1 |
Reported bike crashes, 2021–2026, counted by the street each police report names first, so a crash at a corner counts toward one of its two streets. Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
What the police reports say drivers did in Santa Barbara
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 82 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 34 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 21 | |
| opened a door into traffic | 19 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 16 | |
| turned from the wrong position | 15 | |
| drove under the influence | 8 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 8 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 255 cars, 123 SUVs, 62 pickup trucks, 26 minivans, 6 truck or semis and 2 motorcycles. In 16 crashes the report says the other driver had been drinking or was on drugs.
Reported bike crashes, 2021–2026. The officer names one party and one Vehicle Code section as the main cause of each crash; these are the crashes where that party was a driver. It is the officer's reading at the scene, not a court's finding, and many reports name the person on foot or on a bike instead, which we don't list.
Bike crashes in Santa Barbara by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 94 | 6 | |
| 2023 | 128 | 12 | |
| 2024 | 154 | 32 | |
| 2025 | 93 | 9 | |
| 2026 | 103 | 12 |
How people get to work in Santa Barbara
| Share of workers | Santa Barbara | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 60.8% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 8.5% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 2% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 4% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 3.2% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 18.9% | 17.2% |
7.9% of households in Santa Barbara have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 17.3 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 87,779 residents. These are trips to work only: walks to school, the shops or a bus stop aren't counted, so they can't say how much walking or riding happens on Santa Barbara's streets.
Common questions about Santa Barbara
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Santa Barbara?
- The worst spot is Anacapa St & Carrillo St, with 19 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 3 of them serious or fatal. Next are State St & Hitchcock Way (17) and State St & Mission St (13).
- How many cyclists were killed in Santa Barbara?
- 4 crashes killed someone in 653 reported bike crashes in Santa Barbara from 2021–2026, and 77 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Santa Barbara?
- 21% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Santa Barbara, compared with California?
- Of 653 reported bike crashes in Santa Barbara from 2021–2026: 21% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 4% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 12% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 2% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 8 crashes: loose material on the road (3), holes or deep ruts (3) and a construction or repair zone (2).
- Which streets in Santa Barbara have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: State St (105), Cabrillo Blvd (36), De La Vina St (35), Milpas St (33), Carrillo St (28). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Santa Barbara?
- 3.2% of workers in Santa Barbara ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 2% take public transit. 7.9% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Santa Barbara each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 81, 2022: 94, 2023: 128, 2024: 154, 2025: 93, 2026: 103. The latest year can rise as late reports come in.
- Where does this data come from?
- Police crash reports in the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published by the state on data.ca.gov. Only crashes reported with map coordinates are counted, so the real totals are higher.
Bike climbs near Santa Barbara
Nearby cities
Source: California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), 2021–2026. A report with no coordinates is placed at the intersection its street names give; reports with neither are not counted, so these numbers are lower than the real total. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-22. How the data works.