Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Petaluma, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 70
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 19
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 4
- fatal
- street with the most
- Mcdowell Blvd
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 6 spots, explained- 1Petaluma Bl N & Martha St10 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 7 of 10, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 2Liberty St & Washington St7 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 4 of 7, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 3Mcdowell Blvd & Lindberg Ln3 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPeople hit walking in the road
Is Petaluma 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: 70 pedestrian crashes were reported in Petaluma from 2021–2026, 19 of them serious or fatal (4 fatal). The most were at Petaluma Bl N & Martha St (10). 34% involved a driver turning, 23% turning left. 46% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Petaluma
- 34% involved a driver turning, 23% turning left.
- 46% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 20% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 30% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Petaluma
- 30% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 14% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 27% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 6% (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.
- 0110 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Petaluma Bl N & Martha St
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 7 of 10, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 3 of 10 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.
- 027 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Liberty St & Washington 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 3 of 7 crashes a driver was turning left. 43% 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.
- 033 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Mcdowell Blvd & Lindberg Ln
People hit walking in the road
2 of 3 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing. 100% happened after dark.
- 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.
- Wear something light or reflective, and cross where the street is lit.
- 044 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Parking Lot: 429 N Mcdowell Bl
People hit crossing mid-block
2 of 4 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 50% 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.
- 053 crashes
1st St & D St
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.
- 063 crashes
English St & Western Ave
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 Petaluma
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Mcdowell Blvd | 12 | 6 |
| Petaluma Bl N | 8 | 2 |
| Washington St | 8 | 1 |
| D St | 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 Petaluma
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 30 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 6 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| drove under the influence | 3 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 29 cars, 22 SUVs, 9 pickup trucks, 5 minivans and 1 truck or semi. In 3 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 Petaluma
The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 27% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Friday.
| Monday | 7 | |
| Tuesday | 12 | |
| Wednesday | 6 | |
| Thursday | 12 | |
| Friday | 18 | |
| Saturday | 9 | |
| Sunday | 6 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Petaluma, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Petaluma
| Where the person on foot was | Petaluma | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 46% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 12% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 20% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 22% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | Petaluma | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 73% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 13% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 14% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 0% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Petaluma, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (69) or the road's posted speed (64). 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 Petaluma by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 15 | 6 | |
| 2023 | 15 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 14 | 5 | |
| 2026 | 13 | 2 |
How people get to work in Petaluma
| Share of workers | Petaluma | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 66.7% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 7.6% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1.8% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 20.5% | 17.2% |
5.2% of households in Petaluma have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 30.7 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 59,247 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 Petaluma's streets.
Common questions about Petaluma
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Petaluma?
- The worst spot is Petaluma Bl N & Martha St, with 10 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Liberty St & Washington St (7) and Mcdowell Blvd & Lindberg Ln (3).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Petaluma?
- 4 crashes killed someone in 70 reported pedestrian crashes in Petaluma from 2021–2026, and 19 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Petaluma?
- 34% involved a driver turning, 23% turning left. 46% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 20% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 30% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Petaluma, compared with California?
- Of 70 reported pedestrian crashes in Petaluma from 2021–2026: 30% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 14% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 27% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 6% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Petaluma have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Mcdowell Blvd (12), Petaluma Bl N (8), Washington St (8), D St (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Petaluma?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Petaluma was 5 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Friday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Petaluma?
- 2.3% of workers in Petaluma walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 1.8% take public transit. 5.2% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Petaluma each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 7, 2022: 15, 2023: 15, 2024: 6, 2025: 14, 2026: 13. 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.