Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Santa Monica, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 476
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 86
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 20
- fatal
- street with the most
- Wilshire Blvd
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Neilson Way & Bicknell Ave18 crashes · 7 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 10 of 18, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 220th St & Colorado Ave15 crashes · 5 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 8 of 15, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 3Ocean Ave & Colorado Ave22 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 5 of 22, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Is Santa Monica 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: 476 pedestrian crashes were reported in Santa Monica from 2021–2026, 86 of them serious or fatal (20 fatal). The most were at Neilson Way & Bicknell Ave (18). 37% involved a driver turning, 22% turning left. 56% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Santa Monica
- 37% involved a driver turning, 22% turning left.
- 56% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 16% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 32% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Santa Monica
- 32% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 3% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 18% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.).
- 4% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 4 crashes: holes or deep ruts (2) and something blocking the road (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.
- 0118 crashes · 7 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Neilson Way & Bicknell Ave
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 10 of 18, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 7 of 18 crashes a driver was turning left. 12 of 18 people were in the crosswalk at the intersection: having the right of way didn't protect them. 44% 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.
- 0215 crashes · 5 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
20th St & Colorado Ave
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 8 of 15, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 15 people hit here, 11 were in a crosswalk at the intersection and 2 were in the road. 40% 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.
- 0322 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Ocean Ave & Colorado Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 5 of 22, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 7 of 22 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 55% 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.
- 048 crashes · 5 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
Ocean Ave & San Vicente Blvd
People hit walking in the road
Police reports: in 5 of 8, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 3 of 8 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.
- 0516 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Main St & Marine St
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 4 of 16, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 5 of 16 crashes a driver was turning left. 9 of 16 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.
- 0617 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
4th St & Colorado Ave
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 4 of 17, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 17 people hit here, 10 were in a crosswalk at the intersection and 4 were in the road.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Cross with the signal, and check for turning drivers before you step out.
- 0710 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Wilshire Blvd & 14th St
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 3 of 10, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 3 of 10 crashes a driver was turning left. 8 of 10 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.
- 0813 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Lincoln Blvd & Arizona Ave
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 5 of 13, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 6 of 13 crashes a driver was turning left. 8 of 13 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.
- 0913 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Wilshire Blvd & 10th St
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 8 of 13, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Of 13 people hit here, 10 were in a crosswalk at the intersection and 2 were in the road. 46% 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.
- 109 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
Neilson Way & Ocean Park Blvd
People hit walking in the road
5 of 9 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 Monica
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Wilshire Blvd | 46 | 8 |
| Ocean Ave | 39 | 14 |
| Pico Blvd | 28 | 8 |
| Santa Monica Blvd | 28 | 5 |
| Lincoln Blvd | 25 | 6 |
| Main St | 22 | 6 |
| 20th St | 18 | 4 |
| 4th St | 17 | 2 |
| Neilson Way | 14 | 3 |
| Montana Ave | 14 | 3 |
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 Monica
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 181 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 28 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 23 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 20 | |
| drove under the influence | 8 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 7 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 4 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 3 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 261 cars, 103 SUVs, 18 pickup trucks, 13 minivans, 7 buses and 3 truck or semis. In 20 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 Monica
The busiest hour was 6 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 Wednesday.
| Monday | 78 | |
| Tuesday | 64 | |
| Wednesday | 83 | |
| Thursday | 68 | |
| Friday | 83 | |
| Saturday | 54 | |
| Sunday | 46 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Monica, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Santa Monica
| Where the person on foot was | Santa Monica | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 57% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 3% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 16% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 24% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | Santa Monica | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 44% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 53% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 3% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 0% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Monica, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (471) or the road's posted speed (447). 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 Monica by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 72 | 9 | |
| 2022 | 86 | 10 | |
| 2023 | 62 | 12 | |
| 2024 | 99 | 22 | |
| 2025 | 96 | 21 | |
| 2026 | 61 | 12 |
How people get to work in Santa Monica
| Share of workers | Santa Monica | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 47% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 2.8% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 2.2% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 4.8% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 1.9% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 38.4% | 17.2% |
11.4% of households in Santa Monica have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 24.8 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 91,169 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 Monica's streets.
Common questions about Santa Monica
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Monica?
- The worst spot is Neilson Way & Bicknell Ave, with 18 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 7 of them serious or fatal. Next are 20th St & Colorado Ave (15) and Ocean Ave & Colorado Ave (22).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Santa Monica?
- 20 crashes killed someone in 476 reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Monica from 2021–2026, and 86 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Santa Monica?
- 37% involved a driver turning, 22% turning left. 56% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 16% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 32% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Monica, compared with California?
- Of 476 reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Monica from 2021–2026: 32% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 3% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 18% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 4% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 4 crashes: holes or deep ruts (2) and something blocking the road (2).
- Which streets in Santa Monica have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Wilshire Blvd (46), Ocean Ave (39), Pico Blvd (28), Santa Monica Blvd (28), Lincoln Blvd (25). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Santa Monica?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Santa Monica was 6 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Wednesday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Santa Monica?
- 4.8% of workers in Santa Monica walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 2.2% take public transit. 11.4% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Santa Monica each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 72, 2022: 86, 2023: 62, 2024: 99, 2025: 96, 2026: 61. 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.
Visiting Santa Monica
Weather, getting there without a car, parking and the crashes reported within a mile of each.
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.