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Overview
The information on this webpage provides a summary of fatal traffic crash statistics for the 12- year time-period since 2014 through 2025, addressing a total of 87 fatalities, along with narrative descriptions of fatal traffic crashes occurring in each year. The identified crash numbers align with adopted national standards for crash reporting and include all streets within Fremont’s jurisdictional ownership (approximately 500 miles of streets) and the State-owned local highways of Mission Boulevard (State Routes 238 and 262, approximately 10 miles of streets). The data does not include fatal vehicle-related incidents occurring on private property, railroad crossings, or along the rural State Route 84 (Niles Canyon Road), although the Fremont Police Department does prepare collision reports for these non-Fremont jurisdictional areas. For added information, these crash incidents are summarized as “Other Fatal Crashes” as part of the annual crash narratives. It is also noted that the provided data refers to the number of crash incidents involving a fatal injury. Between 2014 and 2025, one crash incident occurring on 12/11/24 included two fatalities, involving a reckless driver killing themselves and a passenger, thus resulting in a total of 88 fatal crash victims among the 87 fatal crash incidents.
Key conclusions include a general reduction of traffic fatalities following the adoption of Fremont’s Vision Zero traffic safety policy in 2015 and Action Plan in 2016. However, since 2020, traffic fatalities have significantly increased associated with reckless driving and crashes involving unhoused persons. These changes are consistent with regional and national trends. Societal disruption beginning in 2020 related to the COVID pandemic, the killing of George Floyd, “defund the police” sentiments and an economic downturn have created conditions that increased reckless behavior, street homelessness, and decreased the use/availability of police officers for traffic enforcement and consequently contributed to increased traffic fatalities. Changes are now occurring to reverse these trends. In 2025, Fremont police traffic enforcement stops and citations increased by 134% compared to 2024, and traffic fatalities have declined by 42% (from 12 to 7). It is noted that Fremont continues to have a much lower rate of traffic fatalities per capita than the national average. In 2025, as a comparison (measured as fatal crashes incidents per 100,000 population), the traffic fatality rate in Fremont and nationally is, 3 and 11, respectively.
Descriptions of Primary “Root Causes” for Fremont Traffic Fatalities
Reckless Driving
- (38 Incidents; 39 Victims) – Reckless driving is defined as the criminal operation of a motor vehicle with a willful disregard for safety (e.g., speeding 25+ mph over speed limit; weaving, passing and aggressive maneuvers; driving under the influence; street racing; and/or fleeing law enforcement). Among the 38 reckless driving fatal incidents (occurring since 2014): 25 involved the reckless driver killing themselves (15 were motorists; 10 were motorcyclists); and 13 involved the reckless driver killing others (7 pedestrians, 0 bicyclists, 3 motorcyclists and 3 people in another motor vehicle). Most reckless driving occurs in the evening and late at night with 66% of these crash times happening between 6pm and 6am. The highest frequency of reckless driving occurs among male drivers (94%) and young drivers under 30 years old (44%). Effective countermeasures include: visible police enforcement, DUI checkpoints, youth education, automated speed enforcement (requires CA legislative authority), judicial/DMV/insurance consequences, safer vehicle technology (speed regulators, anti-DUI ignition locks), and cultural change (addressing “fast and furious” entertainment that celebrates reckless driving).
- Street Design Improvement Opportunities (15 Incidents) – This category of fatal crash events identifies areas where improved street design may have prevented the crash from occurring using current “safe and complete street” design practices which provides better travel conditions for all ages, abilities, and travel modes. Traffic fatalities associated with street design have declined significantly due to construction of effective countermeasures including: pedestrian countdown signals, crosswalk flashing beacons, new traffic signals, protected bike lanes, and protected intersections. Among the 15 fatal crash incidents occurring since 2014 where street design improvements were identified, the crash victims included 12 pedestrians and 3 bicyclists. Improved street designs have been completed or are in construction (for completion in 2026) at locations on City streets (11 of 11) and on State Routes (2 of 4). Note that Caltrans has complete street and safety improvement projects planned along portions of Mission Boulevard (State Routes 238 and 262).
- Health and Aging Issues (15 Incidents) – The analysis of Fremont’s traffic fatality trends has identified a disproportional number of crashes associated with health issues and/or senior citizens (over the age of 70) exhibiting unsafe judgement while traveling. Seniors in Fremont have died in car crashes while driving at the ages of 96 and 100. Some crashes involving seniors are “delayed fatalities” where the victim dies a week or two later from medical complications. A few senior-related fatalities have included an 80-year-old person likely with dementia walking into a busy street, a 73-year-old person riding an e-bike too fast and falling, or an 89-year-old person bicycling past construction barricades and falling into an open trench. The primary traffic safety improvement countermeasures include: education for seniors and their families on adjusting their driving as they become older; learning about travel alternatives for seniors (including paratransit services); and use of automated vehicle technologies for driver assistance and crash avoidance.
- Unsafe Walking/Biking at Night (11 Incidents) – Primarily associated with unsafe behavior by persons who are unhoused and living on the street, and typically who are mentally ill or impaired, this category of fatal traffic crashes has increased significantly since 2020. These incidents commonly occur late at night (between 10pm and 6am) and are associated with victims appearing in unexpected places, like crossing from mid-block median islands, laying in the street, and/or acting erratically. The primary safety improvement countermeasures are to continue efforts to reduce street homelessness by providing opportunities for safe and supportive housing for homeless persons, increased night-time police monitoring of streets near homeless encampments, education for the public to be more attentive to unexpected street conditions, and use of pedestrian detection and crash avoidance technologies in vehicles.
- Other (8 Incidents) – This category of traffic fatalities includes various unique or miscellaneous circumstances such: vehicle drivers not seeing pedestrians in a crosswalk due to sun glare or foggy windows; bicyclists not seeing vehicles due to car headlights not being on at night or having visibility blocked by a parked car; unsafe travel in a construction zone; and unknown circumstances (due to hit and run incidents or solo crashes with no witnesses)
Summary of Fremont Traffic Fatalities by Travel Mode
Among the 87 fatal traffic crashes occurring in Fremont between 2014 and 2025, the distribution by travel modes is as follows: 39 pedestrians (45%); 27 motor vehicle drivers or occupants (31%), 13 motorcyclists (15%), and 8 bicyclists (9%). Provided below is a summary of the “root causes” of traffic fatalities involving the various travel modes.
Pedestrian Fatalities (39 Incidents)
- 13 died due to unsafe walking at night, typically associated with pedestrians who were impaired or mentally ill, and typically unhoused persons
- 12 died at locations where street design safety improvements were identified (11 between 2014 and 2019; 1 after 2020)
- 7 were killed when hit by a reckless driver
- 7 died due to miscellaneous circumstances, with 5 persons more than 70 years old
Motor Vehicle Fatalities (27 Incidents)
- 18 fatal crashes were associated with reckless driving, 3 people in motor vehicles were hit by
another motor vehicle driving recklessly, and 15 incidents involved the reckless driver killing themselves, a passenger, or (in one incident) both themselves and a passenger.
- 7 fatalities involved health events and/or seniors driving, with the person dying while driving. Most incidents include failure to control the vehicle and hitting fixed objects or other vehicles.
- 1 died due to an unsafe left turn
- 1 died from crashing into a tree a night. Circumstances were unknown due to no witnesses.
Motorcyclist Fatalities (13 incidents)
- All 13 were associated with reckless driving, with 3 motorcyclists being killed by a reckless motor vehicle driver and 10 motorcyclists killed themselves by driving recklessly.
Bicyclist Fatalities (8 Incidents)
- 3 died at locations where street design safety improvements were identified
- 2 fatalities were associated with unsafe bike riding by a senior
- 2 fatalities involved children. A 15-year-old was hit at night by a speeding vehicle and driving without headlights on. A 7-year-old was hit, knocked down and run over by a car in his neighborhood at a place where intersection visibility was blocked by a parked car – this became a case study for California adopting the Intersection Daylighting law, sponsored by Fremont Assemblymember Alex Lee, which prevents vehicles from parking within 20 feet approaching an intersection.
- 1 was an impaired and unhoused person who ran a stop sign and hit a passing car.