Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Costa Mesa, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 473
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 70
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 0
- fatal
- street with the most
- Harbor Blvd
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Costa Mesa 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: 473 bike crashes were reported in Costa Mesa from 2021–2026, 70 of them serious or fatal. The most were at 17th St & Tustin Ave (19). 38% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 17% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Costa Mesa
- 38% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 17% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Costa Mesa
- 17% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 15% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 3% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: loose material on the 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.
- 0119 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
17th St & Tustin Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 3 of 19, a driver didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley. 9 of 19 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.
- 0217 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Newport Blvd & 19th St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0316 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Harbor Blvd & Adams Ave
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0412 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
19th St & Pomona Ave
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0512 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Newport Blvd & 22nd St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 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.
- 0611 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Harbor Blvd & Fair Dr
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 077 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Hamilton St & Pomona Ave
A mix of crash types
43% happened after dark.
- 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.
- 087 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Orange Ave & Cabrillo St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 096 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Victoria St & Placentia Ave
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 106 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
17th St & Santa Ana Ave
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Costa Mesa
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Harbor Blvd | 50 | 5 |
| Placentia Ave | 33 | 9 |
| Newport Blvd | 32 | 7 |
| 17th St | 32 | 6 |
| 19th St | 22 | 2 |
| Baker St | 20 | 0 |
| Victoria St | 18 | 5 |
| Santa Ana Ave | 18 | 3 |
| Wilson St | 16 | 1 |
| Fairview Rd | 15 | 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 Costa Mesa
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 33 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 19 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 15 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 12 | |
| ran a red light | 10 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 8 | |
| opened a door into traffic | 7 | |
| drove under the influence | 5 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 175 cars, 121 SUVs, 34 pickup trucks, 12 minivans, 8 truck or semis and 3 motorcycles. In 12 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 Costa Mesa by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 65 | 10 | |
| 2023 | 87 | 14 | |
| 2024 | 107 | 17 | |
| 2025 | 87 | 13 | |
| 2026 | 83 | 12 |
How people get to work in Costa Mesa
| Share of workers | Costa Mesa | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 62.4% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 8.2% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1.6% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 2.1% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 1.2% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 22.2% | 17.2% |
4.8% of households in Costa Mesa have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 22.4 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 110,330 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 Costa Mesa's streets.
Common questions about Costa Mesa
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Costa Mesa?
- The worst spot is 17th St & Tustin Ave, with 19 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Newport Blvd & 19th St (17) and Harbor Blvd & Adams Ave (16).
- How many cyclists were killed in Costa Mesa?
- No deaths were reported in 473 reported bike crashes in Costa Mesa from 2021–2026, and 70 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Costa Mesa?
- 38% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 17% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Costa Mesa, compared with California?
- Of 473 reported bike crashes in Costa Mesa from 2021–2026: 17% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 15% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 3% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: loose material on the road (2).
- Which streets in Costa Mesa have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Harbor Blvd (50), Placentia Ave (33), Newport Blvd (32), 17th St (32), 19th St (22). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Costa Mesa?
- 1.2% of workers in Costa Mesa ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 1.6% take public transit. 4.8% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Costa Mesa each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 44, 2022: 65, 2023: 87, 2024: 107, 2025: 87, 2026: 83. 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 Costa Mesa
Bike climbs near Costa Mesa
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.