Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Santa Maria, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 202
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 46
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 6
- fatal
- street with the most
- Broadway
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Broadway & Alvin Ave4 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 4, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 2Broadway & El Camino St5 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPeople hit crossing mid-block
- 3Main St & Blosser Rd5 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Is Santa Maria 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: 202 pedestrian crashes were reported in Santa Maria from 2021–2026, 46 of them serious or fatal (6 fatal). The most were at Broadway & Alvin Ave (4). 29% involved a driver turning, 15% turning left. 43% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Santa Maria
- 29% involved a driver turning, 15% turning left.
- 43% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 32% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 40% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Santa Maria
- 40% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 14% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 23% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 6% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: holes or deep ruts (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.
- 014 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
Broadway & Alvin Ave
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 3 of 4, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 4 people hit here, 3 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.
- 025 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Broadway & El Camino St
People hit crossing mid-block
3 of 5 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 40% 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.
- 035 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Main St & Blosser Rd
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 2 of 5 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 40% 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.
- 046 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Cook St & Depot 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. 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.
- 053 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Main St & Depot St
People hit crossing mid-block
2 of 3 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 100% 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.
- 066 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Cook St & Lincoln St
A mix of crash types
Of 6 people hit here, 3 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.
- 074 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Broadway & Morrison Ave
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 3 of 4, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 2 of 4 crashes a driver was turning left. 3 of 4 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them. 75% 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.
- 085 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Broadway & Orchard St
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 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.
- 093 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Roschelle Ln & Lincoln St
People hit crossing mid-block
2 of 3 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.
- 105 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Fesler St & Broadway
People hit walking in the road
2 of 5 people were in the road or on the shoulder when they were hit, not crossing. 40% 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.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in Santa Maria
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Broadway | 26 | 9 |
| Main St | 21 | 4 |
| Cook St | 8 | 2 |
| Blosser Rd | 7 | 2 |
| Betteravia Rd | 6 | 3 |
| Donovan Rd | 6 | 2 |
| Miller St | 6 | 1 |
| Western Ave | 6 | 0 |
| Alvin Ave | 5 | 2 |
| Stowell Rd | 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 Maria
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 60 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 20 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 13 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 10 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 9 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian on a sidewalk | 4 | |
| drove under the influence | 4 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 3 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 112 cars, 30 pickup trucks, 25 SUVs, 5 minivans and 3 truck or semis. In 24 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 Maria
The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 29% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Friday.
| Monday | 20 | |
| Tuesday | 34 | |
| Wednesday | 31 | |
| Thursday | 26 | |
| Friday | 41 | |
| Saturday | 31 | |
| Sunday | 19 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Maria, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Santa Maria
| Where the person on foot was | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 43% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 1% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 32% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 23% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 42% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 44% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 12% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 2% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Maria, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (201) or the road's posted speed (122). 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 Maria by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 32 | 9 | |
| 2022 | 43 | 7 | |
| 2023 | 32 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 30 | 11 | |
| 2025 | 39 | 9 | |
| 2026 | 26 | 4 |
How people get to work in Santa Maria
| Share of workers | Santa Maria | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 71.3% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 18.8% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1.8% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.4% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 17.2% |
6.3% of households in Santa Maria have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 22.4 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 110,462 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 Maria's streets.
Common questions about Santa Maria
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Maria?
- The worst spot is Broadway & Alvin Ave, with 4 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Broadway & El Camino St (5) and Main St & Blosser Rd (5).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Santa Maria?
- 6 crashes killed someone in 202 reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Maria from 2021–2026, and 46 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Santa Maria?
- 29% involved a driver turning, 15% turning left. 43% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 32% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 40% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Maria, compared with California?
- Of 202 reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Maria from 2021–2026: 40% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 14% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 23% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 6% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: holes or deep ruts (2).
- Which streets in Santa Maria have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Broadway (26), Main St (21), Cook St (8), Blosser Rd (7), Betteravia Rd (6). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Santa Maria?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Maria was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Friday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Santa Maria?
- 1.4% of workers in Santa Maria walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 1.8% take public transit. 6.3% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Maria each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 32, 2022: 43, 2023: 32, 2024: 30, 2025: 39, 2026: 26. 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.