Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Berkeley, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 577
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 91
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- University
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Hearst & Shattuck20 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 20, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- 2Adeline St & Oregon St15 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 15, a driver ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping.
- 3Durant & Fulton12 crashes · 4 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 5 of 12, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
Is Berkeley 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: 577 bike crashes were reported in Berkeley from 2021–2026, 91 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at Hearst & Shattuck (20). 42% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 13% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors).
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Berkeley
- 42% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 13% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors).
- 16% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Berkeley
- 16% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 16% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 34 crashes: holes or deep ruts (15), something blocking the road (7), a construction or repair zone (6), loose material on the road (4) and a narrowed road (2).
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.
- 0120 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Hearst & Shattuck
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 3 of 20, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0215 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Adeline St & Oregon St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 3 of 15, a driver ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping. 9 of 15 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.
- 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.
- 0312 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
Durant & Fulton
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 5 of 12, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0413 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
University & Frontage
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 3 of 13, a driver ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping. 5 of 13 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.
- 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.
- 0517 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Milvia & Center
Side-impact crashes at the junction
8 of 17 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.
- 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.
- 0613 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Sacramento St & University Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 of 13 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.
- 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.
- 0713 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Milvia & Dwight
Side-impact crashes at the junction
5 of 13 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.
- 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.
- 0811 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Bancroft Way & Dana St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
5 of 11 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.
- 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.
- 0912 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Shattuck & Channing
Side-impact crashes at the junction
7 of 12 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.
- 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.
- 107 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Euclid & Crystal Way
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 7 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved.
- Watch the surface here: potholes, drain grates, rail tracks and gravel. Cross tracks at a right angle.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Berkeley
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| University | 21 | 2 |
| Milvia | 19 | 1 |
| Bancroft | 18 | 4 |
| Hearst | 17 | 2 |
| Shattuck | 12 | 1 |
| Milvia St | 11 | 2 |
| Euclid | 11 | 2 |
| Cedar | 11 | 2 |
| Hearst Ave | 11 | 2 |
| San Pablo | 10 | 2 |
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 Berkeley
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 53 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 49 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 37 | |
| opened a door into traffic | 21 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 19 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 13 | |
| ran a red light | 11 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 7 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 344 cars, 32 SUVs, 26 pickup trucks, 10 minivans, 3 buses and 3 motorcycles. In 15 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 Berkeley by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 80 | 14 | |
| 2022 | 119 | 13 | |
| 2023 | 105 | 19 | |
| 2024 | 103 | 22 | |
| 2025 | 106 | 14 | |
| 2026 | 64 | 9 |
How people get to work in Berkeley
| Share of workers | Berkeley | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 27.2% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 3.3% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 12.4% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 13.6% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 4.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 37.1% | 17.2% |
20.7% of households in Berkeley have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 27.8 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 120,257 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 Berkeley's streets.
Common questions about Berkeley
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Berkeley?
- The worst spot is Hearst & Shattuck, with 20 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Adeline St & Oregon St (15) and Durant & Fulton (12).
- How many cyclists were killed in Berkeley?
- 1 crash killed someone in 577 reported bike crashes in Berkeley from 2021–2026, and 91 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Berkeley?
- 42% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 13% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors). 16% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Berkeley, compared with California?
- Of 577 reported bike crashes in Berkeley from 2021–2026: 16% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 16% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 34 crashes: holes or deep ruts (15), something blocking the road (7), a construction or repair zone (6), loose material on the road (4) and a narrowed road (2).
- Which streets in Berkeley have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: University (21), Milvia (19), Bancroft (18), Hearst (17), Shattuck (12). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Berkeley?
- 4.4% of workers in Berkeley ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 12.4% take public transit. 20.7% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Berkeley each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 80, 2022: 119, 2023: 105, 2024: 103, 2025: 106, 2026: 64. 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.
Places to ride to near Berkeley
Bike climbs near Berkeley
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.