The most recent Forbes list of the safest US cities lists these California cities in the top 10:
#4 Santa Ana - car fatality rank: 4 Violent crime rank: 11
#6 San Jose - car fatality rank: 12 Violent crime rank: 6
Anaheim and San Diego got knocked out of the top 10 by two Colorado cities. But I'd go for Anaheim or Santa Ana just because they seem to be better protected.
In case you were wondering about the top 3:
Plano, Texas just outside Dallas, boasts the lowest violent crime rate of the American cities Forbes looked at and the sixth-lowest traffic fatality rate, topping their our list for the second year in a row. The Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nev., and Honolulu come in second and third, respectively.
For a different crime rate list, check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate