Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Berkeley, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 454
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 88
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 11
- fatal
- street with the most
- University
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1University & Martin Luther King Jr33 crashes · 5 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 24 of 33, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 2Channing & Ellsworth17 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 9 of 17, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 3Telegraph & Parker Ave11 crashes · 4 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 5 of 11, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Is Berkeley safe to walk?
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: 454 pedestrian crashes were reported in Berkeley from 2021–2026, 88 of them serious or fatal (11 fatal). The most were at University & Martin Luther King Jr (33). 42% involved a driver turning, 31% turning left. 72% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Berkeley
- 42% involved a driver turning, 31% turning left.
- 72% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 8% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 30% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Berkeley
- 30% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 19% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 11% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 17 crashes: holes or deep ruts (8), a construction or repair zone (4), a narrowed road (3) and flooding (2).
Set against all pedestrian crashes in California, 2021–2026. Without traffic counts these can't say how risky a street is.
Where pedestrian crashes cluster
Spots with 3 or more reported crashes within about 250 m, worst first.
- 0133 crashes · 5 serious or fatal
University & Martin Luther King Jr
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 24 of 33, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 12 of 33 crashes a driver was turning left. 25 of 33 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them.
- Before you step out, look for drivers turning left from the far side of the junction. They are watching for a gap in oncoming traffic, not for you.
- 0217 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Channing & Ellsworth
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 9 of 17, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 17 people hit here, 11 were in a crosswalk at the intersection and 3 were in the road. 53% happened after dark.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Cross with the signal, and check for turning drivers before you step out.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- 0311 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Telegraph & Parker Ave
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 5 of 11, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 4 of 11 crashes a driver was turning left. 8 of 11 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them.
- Before you step out, look for drivers turning left from the far side of the junction. They are watching for a gap in oncoming traffic, not for you.
- 0412 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Shattuck & Bancroft
People hit walking in the road
Police reports: in 3 of 12, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 6 of 12 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing.
- Stay out of the traffic lane: check behind you before stepping out from a parked car, and where there's no sidewalk, walk facing traffic as far from the lane as you can.
- 0515 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Oxford & Allston
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 7 of 15, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 5 of 15 crashes a driver was turning left. 10 of 15 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them.
- Before you step out, look for drivers turning left from the far side of the junction. They are watching for a gap in oncoming traffic, not for you.
- 0617 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
College & Channing
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 7 of 17, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 17 people hit here, 11 were in a crosswalk at the intersection and 4 were in the road. 47% happened after dark.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Cross with the signal, and check for turning drivers before you step out.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- 0712 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Gilman & 10th
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 8 of 12, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 6 of 12 crashes a driver was turning left. 8 of 12 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them.
- Before you step out, look for drivers turning left from the far side of the junction. They are watching for a gap in oncoming traffic, not for you.
- 0813 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
10th & University
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 9 of 13, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 13 people hit here, 11 were in a crosswalk at the intersection.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Cross with the signal, and check for turning drivers before you step out.
- 0915 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Shattuck Ave & Oregon St
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 5 of 15, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 15 people hit here, 8 were in a crosswalk at the intersection and 4 were in the road.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Cross with the signal, and check for turning drivers before you step out.
- 109 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Cedar & Shattuck
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 5 of 9, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 5 of 9 crashes a driver was turning left. 6 of 9 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them. 44% happened after dark.
- Before you step out, look for drivers turning left from the far side of the junction. They are watching for a gap in oncoming traffic, not for you.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in Berkeley
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| University | 32 | 5 |
| Shattuck | 22 | 4 |
| Bancroft | 15 | 3 |
| Telegraph | 12 | 2 |
| Martin Luther King Jr | 11 | 4 |
| Sacramento | 11 | 1 |
| San Pablo | 11 | 0 |
| Ashby | 10 | 2 |
| College | 10 | 1 |
| Martin Luther King Jr Way | 9 | 3 |
Reported pedestrian 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 Berkeley
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 272 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 25 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 22 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 16 | |
| drove under the influence | 9 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 5 | |
| ran a red light | 5 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 5 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 342 cars, 32 SUVs, 27 pickup trucks, 9 minivans, 7 truck or semis and 3 buses. In 20 crashes the report says the other driver had been drinking or was on drugs.
Reported pedestrian 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.
When pedestrians are hit in Berkeley
The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 32% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Thursday.
| Monday | 48 | |
| Tuesday | 82 | |
| Wednesday | 76 | |
| Thursday | 87 | |
| Friday | 74 | |
| Saturday | 45 | |
| Sunday | 42 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Berkeley, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Berkeley
| Where the person on foot was | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 72% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 2% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 8% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 18% | 29% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Berkeley, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (452) or the road's posted speed (3). Freeway crashes are left out. These describe the crashes, not how dangerous each kind of street is: we have no count of how many people cross each one.
Pedestrian crashes in Berkeley by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53 | 13 | |
| 2022 | 80 | 16 | |
| 2023 | 92 | 11 | |
| 2024 | 94 | 24 | |
| 2025 | 83 | 16 | |
| 2026 | 52 | 8 |
How people get to work in Berkeley
| Share of workers | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 27.2% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 3.3% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 12.4% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 13.6% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 4.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 37.1% | 17.2% |
20.7% of households in Berkeley have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 27.8 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 120,257 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 Berkeley's streets.
Common questions about Berkeley
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Berkeley?
- The worst spot is University & Martin Luther King Jr, with 33 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 5 of them serious or fatal. Next are Channing & Ellsworth (17) and Telegraph & Parker Ave (11).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Berkeley?
- 11 crashes killed someone in 454 reported pedestrian crashes in Berkeley from 2021–2026, and 88 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Berkeley?
- 42% involved a driver turning, 31% turning left. 72% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 8% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 30% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Berkeley, compared with California?
- Of 454 reported pedestrian crashes in Berkeley from 2021–2026: 30% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 19% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 11% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 17 crashes: holes or deep ruts (8), a construction or repair zone (4), a narrowed road (3) and flooding (2).
- Which streets in Berkeley have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: University (32), Shattuck (22), Bancroft (15), Telegraph (12), Martin Luther King Jr (11). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Berkeley?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Berkeley was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Thursday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Berkeley?
- 13.6% of workers in Berkeley walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 12.4% take public transit. 20.7% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Berkeley each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 53, 2022: 80, 2023: 92, 2024: 94, 2025: 83, 2026: 52. 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.
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. Crashes on freeways are left out. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-22. How the data works.