Pedestrian crash statistics and hotspots in Sunnyvale, CA
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- 168
- pedestrian crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 30
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 4
- fatal
- street with the most
- El Camino Real
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Mathilda Ave & Maude Ave5 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 2 of 5, a driver drove too fast for conditions.
- 2Fair Oaks Ave & Taylor Ave3 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 2 of 3, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
- 3Fair Oaks Ave & Iris Ave9 crashes · 1 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 4 of 9, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Is Sunnyvale 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: 168 pedestrian crashes were reported in Sunnyvale from 2021–2026, 30 of them serious or fatal (4 fatal). The most were at Mathilda Ave & Maude Ave (5). 48% involved a driver turning, 29% turning left. 49% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
Where to look next
How people on foot get hit in Sunnyvale
- 48% involved a driver turning, 29% turning left.
- 49% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection.
- 25% were crossing away from a crosswalk.
- 40% happened after dark.
What the reports show about pedestrian crashes in Sunnyvale
- 40% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 12% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 18% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 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
Mathilda Ave & Maude Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver drove too fast for conditions. 3 of 5 people were crossing away from a crosswalk. 80% 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.
- 023 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
Fair Oaks Ave & Taylor Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
Police reports: in 2 of 3, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. 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.
- 039 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Fair Oaks Ave & Iris Ave
Drivers turning left into people crossing
Police reports: in 4 of 9, a driver didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. In 5 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.
- 048 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
El Camino Real & Bernardo Ave
People hit crossing mid-block
4 of 8 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.
- 053 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Wolfe Rd & Inverness Way
A mix of crash types
Of 3 people hit here, 2 were in a crosswalk at the intersection. 100% 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.
- 066 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Sunnyvale Ave & Hendy Ave
People hit walking in the road
4 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.
- 073 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
El Camino Real & Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd
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.
- 086 crashes
El Camino Real & Mathilda Ave
Drivers turning right into people crossing
In 3 of 6 crashes a driver was turning right.
- 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.
- 094 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Hollenbeck Ave & Alberta 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 3 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.
- 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.
- 103 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Wolfe Rd & El Camino Real
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.
Streets with the most pedestrian crashes in Sunnyvale
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| El Camino Real | 25 | 4 |
| Fair Oaks Ave | 24 | 5 |
| Mathilda Ave | 11 | 1 |
| Wolfe Rd | 10 | 4 |
| Maude Ave | 5 | 2 |
| Duane Ave | 5 | 1 |
| Sunnyvale Ave | 5 | 1 |
| Mary Ave | 5 | 1 |
| Evelyn Ave | 5 | 1 |
| Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd | 5 | 0 |
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 Sunnyvale
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 59 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 23 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 16 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian on a sidewalk | 6 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 5 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 4 | |
| ran a red light | 3 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 132 cars, 12 SUVs, 4 truck or semis, 4 pickup trucks, 1 minivan and 1 bus. In 12 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 Sunnyvale
The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 30% of reported pedestrian crashes happened between 3 and 7 p.m. (California: 28%), and the busiest day was Thursday.
| Monday | 21 | |
| Tuesday | 27 | |
| Wednesday | 29 | |
| Thursday | 34 | |
| Friday | 31 | |
| Saturday | 15 | |
| Sunday | 11 |
Reported pedestrian crashes in Sunnyvale, 2021–2026, by the hour and day on the police report.
Where pedestrians are hit in Sunnyvale
| Where the person on foot was | Sunnyvale | California |
|---|---|---|
| In a crosswalk at an intersection | 50% | 42% |
| In a crosswalk away from an intersection | 2% | 3% |
| Crossing outside a crosswalk | 25% | 26% |
| In the road or on the shoulder, not crossing | 22% | 29% |
| Posted speed of the road | Sunnyvale | California |
|---|---|---|
| 25 mph or less | 30% | 33% |
| 30–35 mph | 58% | 32% |
| 40–45 mph | 11% | 27% |
| 50 mph or more | 1% | 8% |
Shares of reported pedestrian crashes in Sunnyvale, 2021–2026, that record where the person was (166) or the road's posted speed (138). 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 Sunnyvale by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 28 | 8 | |
| 2023 | 30 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 38 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 27 | 3 | |
| 2026 | 18 | 2 |
How people get to work in Sunnyvale
| Share of workers | Sunnyvale | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 53.7% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 8.3% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 3.9% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 1.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 29.2% | 17.2% |
7% of households in Sunnyvale have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 23 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 154,236 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 Sunnyvale's streets.
Common questions about Sunnyvale
- Where do the most pedestrian crashes happen in Sunnyvale?
- The worst spot is Mathilda Ave & Maude Ave, with 5 reported pedestrian crashes from 2021–2026, 3 of them serious or fatal. Next are Fair Oaks Ave & Taylor Ave (3) and Fair Oaks Ave & Iris Ave (9).
- How many pedestrians were killed in Sunnyvale?
- 4 crashes killed someone in 168 reported pedestrian crashes in Sunnyvale from 2021–2026, and 30 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do pedestrians usually get hit in Sunnyvale?
- 48% involved a driver turning, 29% turning left. 49% of the people hit were in a crosswalk at an intersection. 25% were crossing away from a crosswalk. 40% happened after dark.
- When and where do pedestrian crashes happen in Sunnyvale, compared with California?
- Of 168 reported pedestrian crashes in Sunnyvale from 2021–2026: 40% (California: 42%) of crashes happened after dark. 12% (California: 35%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 18% (California: 27%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.). 7% (California: 6%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Sunnyvale have the most pedestrian crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: El Camino Real (25), Fair Oaks Ave (24), Mathilda Ave (11), Wolfe Rd (10), Maude Ave (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- What time of day are pedestrians hit in Sunnyvale?
- The busiest hour for reported pedestrian crashes in Sunnyvale was 5 p.m. (California: 6 p.m.), and the busiest day was Thursday, 2021–2026.
- How many people walk to work in Sunnyvale?
- 1.6% of workers in Sunnyvale walk to work (California: 2.4%), and 3.9% take public transit. 7% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many pedestrian crashes happen in Sunnyvale each year?
- Reported pedestrian crashes with map locations: 2021: 27, 2022: 28, 2023: 30, 2024: 38, 2025: 27, 2026: 18. 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.