Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Bakersfield, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 552
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 52
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 17
- fatal
- street with the most
- Ming Ave
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Bakersfield safe to ride a bike?
This page covers traffic crashes, not crime. We don't rate cities as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a street is, and busy streets have more crashes partly because more people use them. What the records show: 552 bike crashes were reported in Bakersfield from 2021–2026, 52 of them serious or fatal (17 fatal). The most were at Union Ave & 4th St (7). 46% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 29% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Bakersfield
- 46% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 29% happened after dark.
- 18% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Bakersfield
- 29% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 74% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 9% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 2% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 10 crashes: holes or deep ruts (7) and a construction or repair zone (3).
Set against all bike crashes in California, 2021–2026. Without traffic counts these can't say how risky a street is.
Where bike crashes cluster
Spots with 3 or more reported crashes within about 250 m, worst first.
- 017 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Union Ave & 4th St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 of 7 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. 71% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 027 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
California Ave & Eye St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
4 of 7 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. 57% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 034 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
California Ave & Inyo St
A mix of crash types
50% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 0410 crashes
Panama Ln & Colony St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
5 of 10 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. 40% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 50 mph. 50% were hit-and-run.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 055 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Stockdale Hwy & Allen Rd
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 of 5 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. 60% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 50 mph.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 067 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Chester Ave & Columbus St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
5 of 7 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 074 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
California Ave & P St
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 088 crashes
Union Ave & 8th St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
4 of 8 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph. 38% were hit-and-run.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 098 crashes
Truxtun Ave & Sonora St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
5 of 8 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. 63% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 104 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Golden State Ave & Q St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 of 4 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Bakersfield
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Ming Ave | 25 | 1 |
| California Ave | 22 | 6 |
| Panama Ln | 22 | 1 |
| White Ln | 22 | 1 |
| Union Ave | 18 | 2 |
| Chester Ave | 18 | 0 |
| Stockdale Hwy | 16 | 3 |
| Brundage Ln | 15 | 1 |
| Truxtun Ave | 14 | 2 |
| Oak St | 12 | 1 |
Reported bike crashes, 2021–2026, counted by the street each police report names first, so a crash at a corner counts toward one of its two streets. Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
What the police reports say drivers did in Bakersfield
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 45 | |
| ran a red light | 21 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 17 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 12 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 9 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 9 | |
| drove under the influence | 7 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 6 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 252 cars, 62 SUVs, 55 pickup trucks, 8 truck or semis, 7 minivans and 6 buses. In 23 crashes the report says the other driver had been drinking or was on drugs.
Reported bike crashes, 2021–2026. The officer names one party and one Vehicle Code section as the main cause of each crash; these are the crashes where that party was a driver. It is the officer's reading at the scene, not a court's finding, and many reports name the person on foot or on a bike instead, which we don't list.
Bike crashes in Bakersfield by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 63 | 7 | |
| 2022 | 81 | 7 | |
| 2023 | 77 | 7 | |
| 2024 | 106 | 11 | |
| 2025 | 118 | 12 | |
| 2026 | 107 | 8 |
How people get to work in Bakersfield
| Share of workers | Bakersfield | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 79.1% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 10.2% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.4% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 0.8% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 17.2% |
7.4% of households in Bakersfield have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 23.6 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 411,986 residents. These are trips to work only: walks to school, the shops or a bus stop aren't counted, so they can't say how much walking or riding happens on Bakersfield's streets.
Common questions about Bakersfield
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Bakersfield?
- The worst spot is Union Ave & 4th St, with 7 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are California Ave & Eye St (7) and California Ave & Inyo St (4).
- How many cyclists were killed in Bakersfield?
- 17 crashes killed someone in 552 reported bike crashes in Bakersfield from 2021–2026, and 52 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Bakersfield?
- 46% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 29% happened after dark. 18% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Bakersfield, compared with California?
- Of 552 reported bike crashes in Bakersfield from 2021–2026: 29% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 74% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 9% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 2% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 10 crashes: holes or deep ruts (7) and a construction or repair zone (3).
- Which streets in Bakersfield have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Ming Ave (25), California Ave (22), Panama Ln (22), White Ln (22), Union Ave (18). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Bakersfield?
- 0.1% of workers in Bakersfield ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 0.4% take public transit. 7.4% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Bakersfield each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 63, 2022: 81, 2023: 77, 2024: 106, 2025: 118, 2026: 107. The latest year can rise as late reports come in.
- Where does this data come from?
- Police crash reports in the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published by the state on data.ca.gov. Only crashes reported with map coordinates are counted, so the real totals are higher.
Bike climbs near Bakersfield
Nearby cities
Source: California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), 2021–2026. A report with no coordinates is placed at the intersection its street names give; reports with neither are not counted, so these numbers are lower than the real total. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-22. How the data works.