Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Santa Barbara, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 217
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 35
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 9
- fatal
- street with the most
- State St
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Milpas St & Calle Puerto Vallarta5 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPeople hit crossing mid-block
- 2Milpas St & Montecito St10 crashes · 1 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 4 of 10, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 3Calle Cesar Chavez & Yanonali St6 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPeople hit crossing mid-block
Is Santa Barbara 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: 217 pedestrian crashes were reported in Santa Barbara from 2021–2026, 35 of them serious or fatal (9 fatal). The most were at Milpas St & Calle Puerto Vallarta (5). 39% involved a driver turning, 27% turning left. 50% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Santa Barbara
- 39% involved a driver turning, 27% turning left.
- 50% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 19% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 32% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Santa Barbara
- 32% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 5% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 16% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 7% (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.
- 015 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Milpas St & Calle Puerto Vallarta
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 5 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 60% 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.
- 0210 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Milpas St & Montecito St
People hit walking in the road
Police reports: in 4 of 10, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 4 of 10 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing. 50% 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.
- 036 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Calle Cesar Chavez & Yanonali St
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 6 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.
- 049 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Quinientos St & Quinientos 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 4 of 9 crashes a driver was turning left. 7 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.
- 058 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
De La Vina St & Anapamu St
Drivers turning left into people crossing
In 3 of 8 crashes a driver was turning left. 5 of 8 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.
- 063 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Via Lucero & La Cumbre Rd
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.
- 077 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
State St & Haley 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. 5 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.
- 086 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Haley St & De La Vina St
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 6 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.
- 098 crashes
Anapamu St & State St
A mix of crash types
Of 8 people hit here, 6 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.
- 106 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Micheltorena St & San Andres St
People hit walking in the road
3 of 6 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 Santa Barbara
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| State St | 21 | 5 |
| Milpas St | 17 | 2 |
| De La Vina St | 14 | 1 |
| Carrillo St | 14 | 0 |
| Cabrillo Blvd | 9 | 2 |
| Garden St | 7 | 0 |
| Mission St | 6 | 2 |
| Anacapa St | 6 | 0 |
| Chapala St | 6 | 0 |
| Haley St | 5 | 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 Santa Barbara
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 76 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 13 | |
| drove under the influence | 9 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 7 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 6 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 5 | |
| ran a red light | 2 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 83 cars, 53 SUVs, 34 pickup trucks, 13 minivans, 4 truck or semis and 2 buses. In 11 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 Santa Barbara
The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 35% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Friday.
| Monday | 27 | |
| Tuesday | 26 | |
| Wednesday | 32 | |
| Thursday | 35 | |
| Friday | 47 | |
| Saturday | 28 | |
| Sunday | 22 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Barbara, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Santa Barbara
| Where the person on foot was | City | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 51% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 3% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 20% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 27% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | City | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 83% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 12% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 2% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 2% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Barbara, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (214) or the road's posted speed (41). 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 Santa Barbara by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 38 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 39 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 42 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 48 | 12 | |
| 2025 | 25 | 3 | |
| 2026 | 25 | 5 |
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 pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Barbara?
- The worst spot is Milpas St & Calle Puerto Vallarta, with 5 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 3 of them serious or fatal. Next are Milpas St & Montecito St (10) and Calle Cesar Chavez & Yanonali St (6).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Santa Barbara?
- 9 crashes killed someone in 217 reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Barbara from 2021–2026, and 35 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Santa Barbara?
- 39% involved a driver turning, 27% turning left. 50% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 19% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 32% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Barbara, compared with California?
- Of 217 reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Barbara from 2021–2026: 32% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 5% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 16% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 7% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Santa Barbara have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: State St (21), Milpas St (17), De La Vina St (14), Carrillo St (14), Cabrillo Blvd (9). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Santa Barbara?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Barbara was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Friday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Santa Barbara?
- 4% of workers in Santa Barbara walk to work (California: 2.4%), 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 pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Barbara each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 38, 2022: 39, 2023: 42, 2024: 48, 2025: 25, 2026: 25. 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.