Santa Cruz County, California: fatal crash statistics
FARS records 16 deaths in 16 fatal crashes in Santa Cruz County in 2024.
FARS records 214 deaths in 201 fatal crashes in the county from 2015 to 2024.
From 2015 to 2024 the rate is 7.9 deaths for each 100,000 residents in a year.
The rate of California in the same years is 10.1.
By deaths from 2015 to 2024, Santa Cruz County was number 34 of 58 counties of California.
Deaths in Santa Cruz County rose by 12.0% between the ten years 2005 to 2014 (191) and the ten years 2015 to 2024 (214).
In the counties of California the deaths rose by 17.5% between the same years.
From 2015 to 2024, 49.8% of the fatal crashes in Santa Cruz County with known light were in the dark, against 57.5% in California.
To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
The set of first files, known as the Annual Report File (ARF), is released following the crash year. The ARF is replaced about a year later with a final file, which contains additional cases or updates to cases that had become available after the ARF was released.
NHTSA's words. Source: NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794, April 2026), copied on .
This page rests on the FARS 2024 annual file. NHTSA released it on . NHTSA can revise the counts in the final file. Release dates
Table 1 has the numbers. Go to the table
Since the last update: no figure of this county has a change on record.
Deaths and fatal crashes by year
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Crashes with a driver recorded as drinking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16 | 16 | 8 |
| 2023 | 25 | 24 | 4 |
| 2022 | 27 | 25 | 8 |
| 2021 | 28 | 26 | 9 |
| 2020 | 18 | 17 | 6 |
| 2019 | 20 | 20 | 6 |
| 2018 | 22 | 22 | 6 |
| 2017 | 19 | 16 | 5 |
| 2016 | 20 | 20 | 8 |
| 2015 | 19 | 15 | 7 |
| 2015 to 2024 | 214 | 201 | 67 |
Each year from 1975
Tallest column: 52 (1978)2024: 16
The columns with a stronger shade are the years 2015 to 2024.
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16 | 16 |
| 2023 | 25 | 24 |
| 2022 | 27 | 25 |
| 2021 | 28 | 26 |
| 2020 | 18 | 17 |
| 2019 | 20 | 20 |
| 2018 | 22 | 22 |
| 2017 | 19 | 16 |
| 2016 | 20 | 20 |
| 2015 | 19 | 15 |
| 2014 | 20 | 19 |
| 2013 | 14 | 14 |
| 2012 | 10 | 10 |
| 2011 | 8 | 7 |
| 2010 | 12 | 10 |
| 2009 | 26 | 23 |
| 2008 | 30 | 27 |
| 2007 | 27 | 23 |
| 2006 | 20 | 18 |
| 2005 | 24 | 23 |
| 2004 | 17 | 17 |
| 2003 | 25 | 24 |
| 2002 | 23 | 21 |
| 2001 | 25 | 23 |
| 2000 | 19 | 18 |
| 1999 | 10 | 9 |
| 1998 | 24 | 20 |
| 1997 | 23 | 21 |
| 1996 | 21 | 20 |
| 1995 | 17 | 16 |
| 1994 | 20 | 20 |
| 1993 | 21 | 20 |
| 1992 | 22 | 21 |
| 1991 | 29 | 26 |
| 1990 | 18 | 16 |
| 1989 | 28 | 24 |
| 1988 | 43 | 39 |
| 1987 | 45 | 44 |
| 1986 | 50 | 48 |
| 1985 | 46 | 41 |
| 1984 | 40 | 38 |
| 1983 | 46 | 43 |
| 1982 | 35 | 32 |
| 1981 | 44 | 39 |
| 1980 | 35 | 34 |
| 1979 | 39 | 32 |
| 1978 | 52 | 45 |
| 1977 | 33 | 32 |
| 1976 | 48 | 43 |
| 1975 | 44 | 41 |
Note: a count of 1 or 2 is written "1 or 2". A death is in FARS when it occurs in 30 days or less after the crash.
Rate for each 100,000 residents
| Period | Santa Cruz County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6.1 | 9.8 | 11.5 |
| 2015 to 2024, in a year | 7.9 | 10.1 | 11.8 |
Note: the rate divides the deaths in the county by its residents. Persons who do not live in the county are in the deaths, not in the residents.
Population: Census Bureau estimates, vintage 2025. Santa Cruz County had 261,417 residents in 2024.
Factors that NHTSA records
| Factor | Count | Counted among | Share | Share in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A driver recorded as drinkingof 201 fatal crashes | 67 | 201 fatal crashes | 27.9% | |
| A speeding-related driverof 201 fatal crashes | 55 | 201 fatal crashes | 30.2% | |
| No restraint usedof 109 occupant deaths with restraint use known | 44 | 109 occupant deathswith restraint use known | 38.0% | |
| Pedestriansof 214 deaths | 60 | 214 deaths | 26.0% | |
| Bicyclistsof 214 deaths | 9 | 214 deaths | 3.8% | |
| Motorcyclistsof 214 deaths | 29 | 214 deaths | 14.1% | |
| On a rural roadof 201 fatal crashes with the condition reported | 55 | 201 fatal crasheswith the condition reported | 29.9% | |
| In the darkof 201 fatal crashes with the condition reported | 100 | 201 fatal crasheswith the condition reported | 57.5% |
Note: FARS records a driver as drinking when police reported alcohol involvement or a test of the driver was positive for alcohol. It is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure, which uses a blood alcohol concentration of .08 g/dL or higher. One crash can be in two or more rows. NHTSA's definitions
Note that alcohol data is often missing. For that reason, this data element may under-count the actual number of drinking drivers.
Weekday, time and road class
| Weekday | Midnight to 6 a.m. | 6 a.m. to noon | Noon to 6 p.m. | 6 p.m. to midnight | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 8 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 38 |
| Monday | 3 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 26 |
| Tuesday | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 22 |
| Wednesday | 5 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 26 |
| Thursday | 1 or 2 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 29 |
| Friday | 7 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 26 |
| Saturday | 7 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 30 |
| All days | 35 | 32 | 64 | 66 | 197 |
Note: a cell with a stronger shade has a larger count. The table has the fatal crashes with a known hour and weekday.
| Road function class | Fatal crashes | Share | Share in California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate | 0 | 0.0% | 13.7% |
| Other freeways and expressways | 40 | 19.9% | 12.6% |
| Other principal arterial | 49 | 24.4% | 30.1% |
| Minor arterial | 52 | 25.9% | 21.7% |
| Major collector | 49 | 24.4% | 12.3% |
| Minor collector | 3 | 1.5% | 2.3% |
| Local | 8 | 4.0% | 7.3% |
| Not reported | 0 | n/a | n/a |
Note: the classes are those of the Federal Highway Administration. The shares are of the crashes with a reported class. Road function classes
Light condition and weather
| Light condition | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 90 |
| Dark, not lighted | 56 |
| Dark, lighted | 44 |
| Dawn | 5 |
| Dusk | 6 |
| Dark, lighting unknown | 0 |
| Other or unknown | 0 |
| Weather | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 165 |
| Cloudy | 24 |
| Rain | 10 |
| Snow, sleet or freezing rain | 0 |
| Fog, smog or smoke | 1 or 2 |
| Crosswinds or blowing sand/snow | 0 |
| Other or not reported | 1 or 2 |
Routes in the county
| Route | Type | In Santa Cruz | In all of California |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Route 1 | State highway | 41 | 502 |
| State Route 9 | State highway | 13 | 26 |
| State Route 17 | State highway | 9 | 40 |
| State Route 35 | State highway | 1 or 2 | 35 |
| State Route 152 | State highway | 10 | 124 |
Note: the table has each route with a page that has a fatal crash in the county, in name order. Local streets and county roads have no page. Their crashes are in the county totals. All routes in California
Adjacent counties
These lists are for navigation. They are in name order.
Deaths for each 100,000 residents in a year, 2015 to 2024
- Fewer than 1014 counties
- 10 to 14.99 counties
- 15 to 19.914 counties
- 20 to 29.913 counties
- 30 or more8 counties
- Santa Cruz County: 7.9
The limits of the classes are the same for every state. A county with few residents can show a high rate from few deaths. A class is not a judgement of a county. The full map and the table of counties of California
| County | State | Deaths, 2024 | Deaths, 2015 to 2024 | For each 100,000 residents in a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County | California | 45 | 481 | 11.1 |
| San Benito County | California | 11 | 113 | 17.7 |
| San Mateo County | California | 30 | 369 | 4.9 |
| Santa Clara County | California | 100 | 1,195 | 6.2 |
Source of the list: Census Bureau county adjacency file, 2026 edition.
Counties of similar population
These counties of California have a population nearest to that of Santa Cruz County. The list is for navigation and is in name order. The number is the deaths from 2015 to 2024.
Official channels
- NHTSA Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST)NHTSA's query tool for FARS counts.
- NHTSA FARS EncyclopediaNHTSA's tables of FARS data.
- California Office of Traffic SafetyThe highway safety office of California.
These links go to the sites of the agencies. They were checked on .
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. Santa Cruz County, California: fatal crash statistics. https://fatalroads.com/county/ca/santa-cruz/. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, FARS 2024 annual file. Data to .
The address of this page does not change.
Source of the figures
Counts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, national files of 1975 to 2024. The factors use the vehicle and person files from 2015. Residents: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025. Map: Census Bureau cartographic boundary file, 2021 edition. Data to . The figures are totals. No page of this site is about one crash or one person.
How the figures are made. Data sources and licences. Corrections.
Questions
How many deaths did FARS record in Santa Cruz in the ten years before 2015?
FARS records 191 deaths in Santa Cruz County from 2005 to 2014. It records 214 deaths from 2015 to 2024.
What was the rate of Santa Cruz in 2024?
The rate of Santa Cruz County in 2024 was 6.1 deaths for each 100,000 residents. The rate of California was 9.8. The rate of the United States was 11.5.
How many fatal crashes in Santa Cruz had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 67 of 201 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. This count is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure. NHTSA says that alcohol data is often missing, so the count may be too low.
How many fatal crashes did FARS record on signed routes in Santa Cruz?
5 signed routes in the county have a page. FARS records 75 fatal crashes on them in the county from 2015 to 2024. The table of routes on this page gives the count for each route.