Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Santa Barbara County, California
County in California · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 38
- Fatal crashes
- 35
- Population
- 443.1K
In 2024, 38 people died in 35 fatal crashes in Santa Barbara County, California. That was 5.0% fewer than in 2023 (40) and the fewest since 2020. The death rate was 8.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with 9.8 in California and 11.5 in the United States. Santa Barbara County had the 21st most traffic deaths among California's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 196 people died, an average of 39 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 18% of deaths, and 23% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
8.6
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 85 percent of the rate in California: 9.8
- About three-quarters of the rate in the United States: 11.5
8.8
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 80 percent of the average in California: 10.7
- About three-quarters of the average in the United States: 12.3
-5%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
40 deaths in 2023, 38 in 2024
- California: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 28 | 25 |
| 2021 | 51 | 46 |
| 2022 | 39 | 36 |
| 2023 | 40 | 34 |
| 2024 | 38 | 35 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 11.7 |
| 2022 | 8.8 |
| 2023 | 9.0 |
| 2024 | 8.6 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
18%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About two-thirds of the share in California: 28%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 23 |
| Pedestrians | 7 |
| Motorcyclists | 6 |
| Cyclists | 2 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Santa Barbara County | Share in California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 7 | 18% | 28% |
| Motorcyclists | 6 | 16% | 13% |
| Cyclists | 2 | 5% | 4% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 13 | 34% | 34% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 10 | 26% | 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
23%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 80 percent of the share in California: 29%
- About 80 percent of the share in the United States: 28%
29%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in California: 27%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Santa Barbara County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 28.6% | 26.6% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 22.9% | 28.8% | 28.1% |
| At night | 42.9% | 62.0% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 28.6% | 34.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
43%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About two-thirds of the share in California: 62%
- About 80 percent of the share in the United States: 54%
29%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 85 percent of the share in California: 34%
- About 90 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 5 |
| 1am | 9 |
| 2am | 6 |
| 3am | 5 |
| 4am | 3 |
| 5am | 5 |
| 6am | 4 |
| 7am | 4 |
| 8am | 3 |
| 9am | 6 |
| 10am | 6 |
| 11am | 3 |
| 12pm | 9 |
| 1pm | 7 |
| 2pm | 6 |
| 3pm | 8 |
| 4pm | 6 |
| 5pm | 14 |
| 6pm | 16 |
| 7pm | 9 |
| 8pm | 8 |
| 9pm | 7 |
| 10pm | 9 |
| 11pm | 12 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 25 |
| Mon | 24 |
| Tue | 18 |
| Wed | 24 |
| Thu | 24 |
| Fri | 33 |
| Sat | 28 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 11 |
| Feb | 12 |
| Mar | 13 |
| Apr | 15 |
| May | 16 |
| Jun | 17 |
| Jul | 15 |
| Aug | 14 |
| Sep | 18 |
| Oct | 15 |
| Nov | 15 |
| Dec | 15 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 138 |
| Cloudy | 26 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 4 |
| Rain | 4 |
| Other | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 82 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 55 |
| Dark - Lighted | 34 |
| Dawn | 3 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 2 |
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
- US-10142
- SR-117
- SR-15410
- US-101 EL CAMINO REAL9
- SR-2469
- SR-1666
- CATHEDRAL OAKS RD5
- SR-1355
- US-101 SB2
- STOWELL RD2
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 121 |
| SUVs | 56 |
| Pickup trucks | 45 |
| Motorcycles | 30 |
| Other vehicles | 14 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 13 |
| Vans | 9 |
| Other light trucks | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Honda Accord11
- Chevrolet Silverado9
- Nissan Altima8
- Honda Civic7
- Nissan Sentra5
- GMC Sierra5
- Ford F-1505
- Yamaha YZF-R64
- Toyota PRIUS4
- Toyota Camry4
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.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 2024 | Goleta | HOLLISTER AVE | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2024 | — | SR-1 | 1 |
| Dec 16, 2024 | — | E CLARK AVE | 2 |
| Dec 6, 2024 | — | US-101 | 1 |
| Nov 29, 2024 | — | SR-154 | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2024 | — | HARRIS GRADE RD | 2 |
| Sep 30, 2024 | — | SR-154 | 1 |
| Sep 30, 2024 | — | US-101 | 1 |
| Sep 29, 2024 | — | SR-1 | 1 |
| Sep 23, 2024 | — | SR-135 | 1 |
| Sep 8, 2024 | — | US-101 | 1 |
| Sep 7, 2024 | — | SR-166 W MAIN ST | 1 |
| Sep 7, 2024 | — | JALAMA RD | 1 |
| Sep 7, 2024 | — | SR-192 | 1 |
| Aug 25, 2024 | Santa Maria | SKYWAY DR | 1 |
| Aug 15, 2024 | — | US-101 EL CAMINO REAL | 1 |
| Aug 1, 2024 | Santa Maria | STOWELL RD | 2 |
| Jul 31, 2024 | Guadalupe | GUADALUPE ST | 1 |
| Jul 3, 2024 | — | US-101 | 1 |
| Jun 29, 2024 | Santa Barbara | CLIFF DR | 1 |
| Jun 13, 2024 | — | US-101 EL CAMINO REAL | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2024 | — | SR-135 ORCUTT EXPWY | 1 |
| May 22, 2024 | — | US-101 EL CAMINO REAL | 1 |
| May 21, 2024 | Santa Barbara | MISSION ST | 1 |
| May 2, 2024 | Santa Maria | SKYWAY DR | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Santa Barbara County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Goleta | 1 | 3.1 |
| Santa Barbara | 4 | 4.6 |
| Santa Maria | 5 | 4.5 |
Nearby counties
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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.