City of San Luis Obispo, CA
Home MenuTraffic Safety
Vision Zero - San Luis Obispo's Safe Streets Action Plan
Vision Zero is San Luis Obispo's initiative to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on city streets. By setting zero as the only acceptable goal, Vision Zero sends a clear message: no loss of life on our streets is acceptable.
Action Plan Adoption
The Vision Zero - San Luis Obispo's Safe Streets Action Plan was adopted by City Council on May 19, 2026.
The Road to Zero
The core message of Vision Zero is simple: one traffic death on our city streets is too many.
Since the City Council adopted Vision Zero as City policy in 2016, the City has continued working to improve safety on its streets. While overall collisions have declined, 19 community members were killed in traffic crashes on city streets between 2020 and 2024 – the highest five-year total recorded in more than two decades.
The Vision Zero - San Luis Obispo's Safe Streets Action Plan outlines data-driven strategies and priority actions focused on safer street design (Safer Roads and Safer Speeds), education and enforcement (Safer People), Post-Crash Care, and Safer Vehicles, with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Current Safety Trends
Overall Collision Trend
Fatal Collision Victims Trend
Fatal and Severe Injury Collision Victims Trend
*Please note that the COVID-19 pandemic abnormally impacted statewide traffic patterns in 2020. The lower total and injury collisions in 2020 are likely due to lower traffic patterns, not improved roadway safety conditions.
National Traffic Fatality Rates
Even in one of the City's worst 5-year periods of traffic fatalities in recent history, the City's average is well below national, state, and regional trends.
Key Takeaways
When reviewing citywide collision trends from the past 5 years (2020-2024), the following takeaways are clear:
High-Injury Collision Network
The High-Injury Collision Network highlights the streets in San Luis Obispo with the highest rates of traffic collisions that result in severe injury or death. Based on the last five years of data, it primarily includes high-speed arterial streets like Foothill Boulevard, Broad Street, Higuera Street, and Los Osos Valley Road. Though these streets make up just 11% of the city's total road miles, they account for 80% of fatal and severe injury collisions. The Action Plan prioritizes safety improvements and enforcement efforts in these high-risk areas.