Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Merced, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 213
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 63
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 20
- fatal
- street with the most
- G St
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Martin Luther King Jr Way & 12th St12 crashes · 4 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 12, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 2Olive Ave & G St6 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 6, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 3G St & 26th St4 crashes · 2 serious or fatalA mix of crash types
Is Merced 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: 213 pedestrian crashes were reported in Merced from 2021–2026, 63 of them serious or fatal (20 fatal). The most were at Martin Luther King Jr Way & 12th St (12). 32% involved a driver turning, 16% turning left. 41% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Merced
- 32% involved a driver turning, 16% turning left.
- 41% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 33% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 47% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Merced
- 47% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 30% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 4% (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.
- 0112 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
Martin Luther King Jr Way & 12th St
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 3 of 12, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 12 people hit here, 6 were in a crosswalk at the intersection and 3 were crossing away from a crosswalk. 50% 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.
- 026 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Olive Ave & G St
Drivers turning right into people crossing
Police reports: in 3 of 6, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 4 of 6 crashes a driver was turning right. 4 of 6 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them.
- Watch for drivers turning right, including on a red light. They look left for traffic and often miss people on their right, so make eye contact before you step out.
- 034 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
G St & 26th St
A mix of crash types
Of 4 people hit here, 2 were in a crosswalk at the intersection. 50% 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.
- 047 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Olivewood Dr & R St
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 4 of 7, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 4 of 7 crashes a driver was turning left. 4 of 7 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.
- 059 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Main St & I St
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 5 of 9, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 3 of 9 crashes a driver was turning left. 5 of 9 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.
- 066 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
16th St & Q St
People hit crossing mid-block
2 of 6 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 67% happened after dark.
- 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.
- 076 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
R St & 11th St
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 6 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 50% happened after dark.
- 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.
- 083 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
G St & Yosemite Ave
Drivers turning right into people crossing
Police reports: in 2 of 3, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 2 of 3 crashes a driver was turning right. 3 of 3 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them. 100% happened after dark.
- Watch for drivers turning right, including on a red light. They look left for traffic and often miss people on their right, so make eye contact before you step out.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- 093 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
15th St & M 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. 67% 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.
- 103 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Childs Ave & N St
People hit walking in the road
2 of 3 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.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in Merced
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| G St | 20 | 8 |
| R St | 18 | 8 |
| Olive Ave | 12 | 3 |
| M St | 10 | 1 |
| 16th St | 9 | 4 |
| Martin Luther King Jr Way | 8 | 5 |
| Childs Ave | 7 | 4 |
| Main St | 6 | 1 |
| 21st St | 6 | 1 |
| Yosemite Pkwy | 5 | 4 |
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 Merced
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 82 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 13 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 13 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 7 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| drove under the influence | 3 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 3 | |
| ran a red light | 3 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 108 cars, 38 SUVs, 37 pickup trucks, 4 minivans, 2 motorcycles and 1 bus. In 10 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 Merced
The busiest hour was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 25% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Friday.
| Monday | 37 | |
| Tuesday | 30 | |
| Wednesday | 32 | |
| Thursday | 25 | |
| Friday | 45 | |
| Saturday | 24 | |
| Sunday | 20 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Merced, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Merced
| Where the person on foot was | Merced | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 43% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 2% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 34% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 20% | 29% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Merced, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (205) or the road's posted speed (4). 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 Merced by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35 | 12 | |
| 2022 | 46 | 14 | |
| 2023 | 38 | 11 | |
| 2024 | 48 | 18 | |
| 2025 | 30 | 7 | |
| 2026 | 16 | 1 |
How people get to work in Merced
| Share of workers | Merced | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.6% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 8.4% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.8% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.4% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 17.2% |
8.9% of households in Merced have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 28.6 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 91,953 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 Merced's streets.
Common questions about Merced
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Merced?
- The worst spot is Martin Luther King Jr Way & 12th St, with 12 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 4 of them serious or fatal. Next are Olive Ave & G St (6) and G St & 26th St (4).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Merced?
- 20 crashes killed someone in 213 reported pedestrian crashes in Merced from 2021–2026, and 63 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Merced?
- 32% involved a driver turning, 16% turning left. 41% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 33% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 47% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Merced, compared with California?
- Of 213 reported pedestrian crashes in Merced from 2021–2026: 47% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 30% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 4% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Merced have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: G St (20), R St (18), Olive Ave (12), M St (10), 16th St (9). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Merced?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Merced was 8 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Friday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Merced?
- 1.4% of workers in Merced walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 0.8% take public transit. 8.9% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Merced each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 35, 2022: 46, 2023: 38, 2024: 48, 2025: 30, 2026: 16. 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.