Fatal crash profile · County

Traffic deaths in San Mateo County, California

County in California · United States

Deaths, 2024
30
Fatal crashes
27
Population
740.6K

In 2024, 30 people died in 27 fatal crashes in San Mateo County, California. That was 21.1% fewer than in 2023 (38) and the fewest in any year since 2020. The death rate was 4.1 per 100,000 residents, compared with 9.8 in California and 11.5 in the United States. San Mateo County had the 25th most traffic deaths among California's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 191 people died, an average of 38 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 33% of deaths, and 33% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.

Deaths

Traffic deaths

4.1

deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024

  • About 40 percent of the rate in California: 9.8
  • About one-third of the rate in the United States: 11.5

5.1

average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024

  • About half the average in California: 10.7
  • About 40 percent of the average in the United States: 12.3

-21%

change in deaths from 2023 to 2024

38 deaths in 2023, 30 in 2024

  • California: -7%
  • The United States: -4%
Traffic deaths by year, 2020–2024
Category Deaths Fatal crashes
2020 39 38
2021 36 35
2022 48 43
2023 38 35
2024 30 27

People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.

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Deaths per 100,000 residents, 2020–2024
Category Deaths per 100,000
2020 5.1
2021 4.9
2022 6.6
2023 5.2
2024 4.1

Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.

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Road users

Who died

33%

of deaths were pedestrians

  • About 1.2 times the share in California: 28%
  • About 1.8 times the share in the United States: 18%
Who died in 2024
Category Deaths
Vehicle occupants and others 15
Pedestrians 10
Motorcyclists 3
Cyclists 2
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Deaths by type, 2024
Type Deaths Share in San Mateo County Share in California
Pedestrians 10 33% 28%
Motorcyclists 3 10% 13%
Cyclists 2 7% 4%
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes 4 13% 34%
Speeding-related crashes 9 30% 29%

Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.

Crash factors

Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes

33%

of fatal crashes were speeding-related

  • About 1.2 times the share in California: 29%
  • About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 28%

15%

of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver

  • About 55 percent of the share in California: 27%
  • About 60 percent of the share in the United States: 25%
Crash factors in 2024
Category San Mateo County California United States
Speeding-related 14.8% 26.6% 24.8%
Alcohol-involved 33.3% 28.8% 28.1%
At night 48.1% 62.0% 53.6%
At weekends 22.2% 34.4% 32.6%

Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.

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Timing

When crashes happen

48%

of fatal crashes happened at night

  • About three-quarters of the share in California: 62%
  • About 90 percent of the share in the United States: 54%

22%

of fatal crashes happened at weekends

  • About two-thirds of the share in California: 34%
  • About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 33%
Fatal crashes by hour of day
Category Fatal crashes
12am 4
1am 6
2am 7
3am 8
4am 7
5am 6
6am 11
7am 3
8am 3
9am 7
10am 2
11am 5
12pm 4
1pm 8
2pm 8
3pm 5
4pm 7
5pm 9
6pm 5
7pm 10
8pm 6
9pm 14
10pm 15
11pm 12

All crashes 2020–2024.

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Fatal crashes by day of week
Category Fatal crashes
Sun 24
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 18
Thu 27
Fri 29
Sat 35

All crashes 2020–2024.

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Fatal crashes by month
Category Fatal crashes
Jan 16
Feb 16
Mar 14
Apr 20
May 17
Jun 10
Jul 16
Aug 18
Sep 15
Oct 9
Nov 18
Dec 9

All crashes 2020–2024.

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Conditions

Weather and light

Weather at the time of the crash
Category Fatal crashes
Clear 134
Cloudy 27
Rain 14
Fog, Smog, Smoke 2

All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.

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Light conditions at the time of the crash
Category Fatal crashes
Daylight 67
Dark - Lighted 62
Dark - Not Lighted 40
Dawn 4
Dusk 3
Dark - Unknown Lighting 1

All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.

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Roads and vehicles

Where and what, 2020–2024

Roads with the most fatal crashes

  1. I-28023
  2. US-10122
  3. SR-112
  4. SR-829
  5. SR-1 CABRILLO HWY8
  6. SR-82 EL CAMINO REAL7
  7. SR-926
  8. SR-355
  9. SR-844
  10. US-101 RAMP4

Road names as recorded in police reports.

Vehicles involved, by type
Category Vehicles
Cars 118
SUVs 50
Motorcycles 29
Pickup trucks 20
Vans 13
Other vehicles 11
Medium and heavy trucks 11
Buses 2

All crashes 2020–2024.

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Vehicles most often involved

  1. Honda Civic10
  2. Toyota Corolla8
  3. Toyota PRIUS6
  4. Toyota Highlander6
  5. Nissan Altima6
  6. Honda CR-V6
  7. Honda Accord6
  8. Toyota Tacoma5
  9. Toyota Camry5
  10. Volkswagen Jetta4

Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.

Crashes

Fatal crashes

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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.

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Crash factors
Date Location Deaths
Dec 10, 2024 South San Francisco 1
Nov 28, 2024 Daly City 1
Nov 27, 2024 San Mateo 1
Nov 21, 2024 South San Francisco 1
Nov 16, 2024 San Carlos 1
Nov 3, 2024 — 1
Oct 30, 2024 Daly City 1
Oct 19, 2024 Daly City 1
Sep 12, 2024 Burlingame 1
Sep 5, 2024 Burlingame 1
Aug 16, 2024 Redwood City 1
Aug 16, 2024 Daly City 1
Aug 1, 2024 Half Moon Bay 1
Jul 29, 2024 San Mateo 1
Jul 26, 2024 San Mateo 3
Jul 4, 2024 Daly City 1
May 25, 2024 — 1
May 14, 2024 — 1
Apr 17, 2024 — 1
Apr 8, 2024 — 1
Apr 5, 2024 — 1
Mar 14, 2024 Daly City 1
Mar 2, 2024 Redwood City 1
Feb 4, 2024 Redwood City 1
Feb 1, 2024 Hillsborough 1

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Nearby and related

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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.