Banner

Title

Vision Zero Santa Barbara

Body

A Smarter Way to Approach Traffic Safety!

Sections

About Vision Zero In Santa Barbara

Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries in Santa Barbara by 2030 while enhancing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all.

Vision Zero is about evolving our thinking about what causes traffic-related collisions and how to prevent them. Traditionally, traffic fatalities and severe injuries have been viewed as “accidents,” yet each traffic-related collision has a cause and can be prevented. Vision Zero regards traffic collisions as a policy problem addressed through focused evaluation, education, engineering, and enforcement.

First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has proved successful across Europe and is now gaining momentum in major American cities. The Santa Barbara City Council adopted the Vision Zero perspective in September of 2018 with a target to eliminate all severe and fatal transportation-related collisions by 2030. Read the strategy below!

VISION ZERO STRATEGY

Traffic Safety Messaging Campaign

[ expand/close all ]

August 2026: Everyone has a role in making our roads safe

August 2026: Everyone has a role in making our roads safe

Be a good neighbor by caring for all who move along and across Santa Barbara roads.
Stick to the basics of safety!

Obey traffic laws. Pay attention to road signs and signals.
Avoid surprises. When crossing or turning, give everyone plenty of space and time to stay out of your way.
Be patient. Traffic can be frustrating, but patience can make the difference between life and death.

No matter how you get around Santa Barbara, we all have a responsibility to take care of each other, so everyone makes it home safely. Thank you for taking care of your community!

Upcoming Campaign Messages

September Campaign: Know the law related to e-bike use

Before your next e-bike ride, familiarize yourself with the laws in Santa Barbara. While most of the rules that govern bicycling are the same for e-bikes, there are some notable enforceable updates that apply to all bicycles and e-conveyances per City Ordinances 10.52.010 through 10.52.080:

Unsafe Riding is Prohibited:

Bicycles and e-conveyances must be operated safely.
Unsafe riding includes riding against traffic, speeding, ignoring traffic signs, performing stunts, or failing to yield to pedestrians or vehicles when required.

Youth Violations and Parental Responsibility:

Minors who violate the ordinance can complete the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse’s Youth Diversion Program focused on bicycle and e-conveyance safety.
If the minor fails to participate, an administrative fine will be issued, and the parent or guardian will be financially responsible.
If a minor’s unsafe riding causes damage to public property, the City may also pursue reimbursement from the parent or guardian.

Electric Motorcycles (Surrons) are Not E-Bikes:

Electric motorcycles are illegal on all public rights of way.

October Campaign: Don’t let a text turn into a collision

Cell phones are a leading cause of crashes involving distraction. Whether you’re in a car, on an e-bike, or walking, look around, not down. Staying alert prevents crashes and gives you enough time to stop in unexpected circumstances. Put your phone away and keep your eyes, hands, and mind focused on the road.

Stay alert by following these tips:

Put your phone away, or set it to do not disturb, driving, or airplane mode.
Plan ahead. Make phone calls, eat, and set up your navigation and music before you start driving.
Build in breaks every two or three hours for longer trips to check your phone, change your music, or eat.
Stay focused. Looking away while stopped at a red light delays your reaction to the green light and causes delay for everyone.

Click on the Don’t let a text turn into a collision link to see more information and a graphic on how much you move unexpectedly when you're looking at your phone!

November Campaign: Slow down, save a life

We all have places to be, but it’s better to arrive late than not at all.

The faster you are driving at the point of impact of a crash, the more seriously injured people involved in the crash will be. Slower speeds also give everyone more time to react, which can prevent the crash from happening at all.

How fast you drive matters! Click on the link Slow down, save a life to see a graphic of the probability of a pedestrian surviving a car hitting them at different rates of speed.

December Campaign: Safe streets are sober streets

Every day about 34 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes. These deaths are preventable. Operating any vehicle under the influence is irresponsible and illegal. Alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs impair your decision-making and physical reaction times. Bikes and scooters may seem like a safer option, but are just as dangerous as driving while impaired. Plan how you will get home safely, before you consume any alcohol or drugs.

Follow these tips to keep yourself and others safe:

Use public transportation or carpooling with a designated driver for the group.
Plan to leave your car or bike overnight.
Call a sober friend or family member to pick you up.
Call a taxi or rideshare service.
Plan to stay over where you are.

If you’re in a situation where a friend who’s drunk or high is trying to leave, please:

Arrange or provide a ride.
Offer your couch for the night.
Arrange for them to stay where they are.
Engage someone else to help.

Safety-First Four E's

[ expand/close all ]

Evaluation

Enforcement

Enforcement ensures safety laws are known and followed. This section is implemented by the Police Department and other enforcement bodies. The Police Department will report traffic statistics alongside crime statistics as part of its community policing and Vision Zero approach. This means Police Department resources can also be discussed and allocated more appropriately based on safety statistics.

Serious and Fatal Collisions Heat Maps

What We're Doing

Everyone Has a Role in Making Our Roads Safe

Everyone who travels along Santa Barbara’s streets—whether driving, biking, or walking—plays a part in keeping our community safe. The City is kicking off monthly traffic safety messaging through the City’s social media platforms and…

August 31, 2026

Light Up the Night!

MOVE Santa Barbara County is resurrecting its annual Iluminando La Noche (Light Up the Night) campaign. From Monday, November 3 through Friday, November 7, 2025, MOVE volunteers will host evening events across the South Coast to distribute…

October 22, 2025

What We've Done Since 2018 With Vision Zero

The Public Works and Police Departments created a preliminary list of actions in 2018 for the top priority corridors based on identified safety concerns included in the Santa Barbara Vision Zero Strategy that was adopted by City Council in…

January 8, 2025

Slow Your Roll to Stay Safe on State!

With the summer season and Old Spanish Days Fiesta attracting walkers, bikers, and drivers Downtown, the City encourages everyone to “Stay Safe on State” and “Slow Your Roll.” By obeying traffic laws, slowing down, and yielding to…

July 29, 2024

Total results: 4 Page 1 of 1

Castillo Street Undercrossing Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility Improvements

The City received a Measure A grant to develop a concept design for bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements at the approaches to the Castillo Street undercrossing at U.S. Highway 101.

Crosswalk at the intersection of Mission and Chapala Street

Chapala Street Vision Zero Project

In 2018, City Council adopted the Santa Barbara Vision Zero Strategy, which aims to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all. Most traffic-related deaths…

Cliff Drive road between Oliver and Meigs Roads

Cliff Drive Vision Zero Project

The City of Santa Barbara is developing a project to increase safety along the Cliff Drive corridor. A high number of repeat collisions in this corridor make safety modifications a high priority. Community feedback over the years has also…

Milpas Intersection, pedestrians in crosswalk as vehicles share the intersection.

Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project

Milpas Street is a busy arterial street in the Eastside neighborhood with five lanes of traffic carrying over 23,000 vehicles per day. Milpas ranks #2 in the City for the highest number of pedestrian-involved collisions. As a result, City…

Rendering of the design for the State Street Undercrossing - View of the roadway with bollards.

Vision Zero State Street Undercrossing Project

The U.S. 101 State Street Undercrossing (Undercrossing) has among the highest concentrations of serious injuries to pedestrians and cyclists in the City of Santa Barbara (City).The Vision Zero State Street Undercrossing Project (Project)…

Vision Zero Santa Barbara

A Smarter Way to Approach Traffic Safety!

Traffic Safety Messaging Campaign

Safety-First Four E's

Serious and Fatal Collisions Heat Maps

What We're Doing

Projects

City Hall

Mailing Address

Vision Zero Santa Barbara

A Smarter Way to Approach Traffic Safety!

Traffic Safety Messaging Campaign

Safety-First Four E's

Serious and Fatal Collisions Heat Maps

What We're Doing

Projects

City Hall

Mailing Address

Newsletters