Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in El Centro, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 63
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 22
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 8
- fatal
- street with the most
- Imperial Ave
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 4 spots, explainedIs El Centro 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: 63 pedestrian crashes were reported in El Centro from 2021–2026, 22 of them serious or fatal (8 fatal). The most were at 4th St & Desert Gardens Dr (4). 22% involved a driver turning, 17% turning left. 29% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in El Centro
- 22% involved a driver turning, 17% turning left.
- 29% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 44% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 56% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in El Centro
- 56% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 35% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 2% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
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.
- 014 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
4th St & Desert Gardens Dr
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 4 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 100% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 023 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Adams Ave & 12th St
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 2 of 3, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 3 people hit here, 2 were in a crosswalk at the intersection. 100% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here. Use signalized crossings rather than crossing mid-block.
- 034 crashes
4th St & Smoketree
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 4 people were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- Cross at the nearest signal or crosswalk here, even if it's out of your way. Drivers don't expect people mid-block.
- 043 crashes
State & 7th
A mix of crash types
Of 3 people hit here, 2 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.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in El Centro
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial Ave | 9 | 3 |
| La Brucherie | 5 | 2 |
| 4th St | 5 | 1 |
| 8th St | 5 | 0 |
| Imperial | 3 | 2 |
| Ross | 3 | 1 |
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 El Centro
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 16 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 4 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 35 cars, 5 pickup trucks, 3 SUVs and 1 truck or semi. In 5 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 El Centro
The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 19% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Wednesday.
| Monday | 9 | |
| Tuesday | 11 | |
| Wednesday | 12 | |
| Thursday | 12 | |
| Friday | 9 | |
| Saturday | 7 | |
| Sunday | 3 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in El Centro, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in El Centro
| Where the person on foot was | El Centro | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 30% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 2% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 47% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 22% | 29% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in El Centro, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (60) or the road's posted speed (15). 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 El Centro by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 16 | 7 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 11 | 4 |
How people get to work in El Centro
| Share of workers | El Centro | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 76.7% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 13.3% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 2.1% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 17.2% |
5.8% of households in El Centro have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 22 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 44,240 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 El Centro's streets.
Common questions about El Centro
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in El Centro?
- The worst spot is 4th St & Desert Gardens Dr, with 4 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Adams Ave & 12th St (3) and 4th St & Smoketree (4).
- How many pedestrians were killed in El Centro?
- 8 crashes killed someone in 63 reported pedestrian crashes in El Centro from 2021–2026, and 22 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in El Centro?
- 22% involved a driver turning, 17% turning left. 29% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 44% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 56% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in El Centro, compared with California?
- Of 63 reported pedestrian crashes in El Centro from 2021–2026: 56% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 35% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 2% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in El Centro have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Imperial Ave (9), La Brucherie (5), 4th St (5), 8th St (5), Imperial (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in El Centro?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in El Centro was 7 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Wednesday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in El Centro?
- 2.1% of workers in El Centro walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 0% take public transit. 5.8% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in El Centro each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 14, 2022: 13, 2023: 16, 2024: 4, 2025: 5, 2026: 11. 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.