Two people died in separate incidents on Malibu roadways this week, highlighting an ongoing traffic safety emergency that has claimed dozens of lives in recent years despite millions of dollars in improvements.
A single-vehicle crash on Malibu Canyon Road killed one person Wednesday morning after their vehicle went over the side of the road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The crash occurred around 7:40 a.m. just north of Potter Drive, and the California Highway Patrol said one person was pronounced dead at the scene.
The death came two days after a pedestrian was struck and killed Monday night on Pacific Coast Highway near Paradise Cove. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 31-year-old Norberto Guevara Jr. The crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. near Winding Way and closed all lanes of PCH for several hours. Authorities said the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, who do not suspect drugs, alcohol or speeding played a role.
The fatalities represent the latest in a years-long pattern that has prompted Malibu officials to declare a local emergency for Pacific Coast Highway.
Between 2011 and 2023, roughly 170 people were killed or seriously injured on the 21-mile stretch of PCH through Malibu, according to data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System.
Speeding is the leading factor in accidents, with Malibu officials noting excessive speed caused 61 fatalities on PCH in the past decade. Police have clocked cars racing at speeds between 107 and 112 mph on the highway, where posted limits range from 45 to 55 mph.
In one headline grabbing case, four Pepperdine University students were fatally struck while standing on a sidewalk in 2023, marking the deadliest pedestrian-vehicle collision in Los Angeles County in more than a decade.
Efforts to police the road are constant. Last week, the Malibu City Council unanimously approved extending the local emergency declaration for Pacific Coast Highway, which has been in effect since November 2023. The declaration must be renewed every 60 days under state law.
Malibu has invested approximately $39 million in traffic safety projects along PCH over the past decade, including traffic signals, crosswalk installations, raised medians and a Zuma Beach bike route. The city recently completed a $19 million signal synchronization system linking 12 traffic lights along PCH to coordinate green lights at the speed limit.
The city hired the California Highway Patrol on contract in 2024 to supplement the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on PCH. Three CHP officers now patrol full-time on the highway for the first time since 1991. In the first half of 2024, CHP and sheriff's deputies issued 4,790 traffic citations — 82% more speeding tickets than the prior year — and Malibu saw a 36% drop in injury crashes.
Because PCH is a state highway, the California Department of Transportation plays a pivotal role in safety improvements. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a renewed state effort targeting the corridor, and Caltrans invested $4.2 million under an emergency order for quick fixes including lane separators, high-visibility striping and fresh crosswalk markings.
Caltrans is preparing to pilot quick-build roundabouts at two western Malibu intersections near El Matador Beach and Encinal Canyon, where beach traffic and speeding cars frequently mix with pedestrians. Installation is expected in 2025-26, with officials estimating the roundabouts could reduce crashes by 39%.
In September 2024, California passed Senate Bill 1297 to authorize automated speed cameras on PCH in Malibu. The law permits the city to install five speed camera systems at crash hot spots, with cameras expected to go live by late 2025.
The California Office of Traffic Safety provided $555,000 in late 2023 to the sheriff's department, Los Angeles Police Department and Santa Monica Police for extra PCH patrols and equipment. The office has earmarked $460,000 for Malibu in fiscal 2025 specifically for PCH safety enforcement and education.
Federal highway safety grants have supported enforcement and education efforts, including an $87,000 grant for DUI checkpoints and patrols in summer 2023.
In total over $50 million in safety upgrades are approved and underway, bringing new guardrails, sidewalks, bike lanes and lighting to the highway.