Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Lake Forest, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 101
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 13
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- El Toro Rd
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 7 spots, explainedIs Lake Forest 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: 101 bike crashes were reported in Lake Forest from 2021–2026, 13 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at Normandale Dr & El Toro Rd (6). 59% 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 Lake Forest
- 59% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 17% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Lake Forest
- 17% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 13% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 4 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 2 crashes: a construction or repair zone (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.
- 016 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Normandale Dr & El Toro Rd
Falls and fixed objects
4 of 6 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.
- 025 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Trabuco Rd & Lake Forest Dr
Side-impact crashes at the junction
4 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.
- 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.
- 035 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Ridge Route Dr & Serrano 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.
- 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.
- 044 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Rockfield Blvd & El Toro
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 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.
- 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.
- 054 crashes
El Toro Rd & Muirlands Blvd
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. 75% happened after dark.
- 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.
- 063 crashes
Arbor Way & El Toro Rd
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 of 3 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.
- 073 crashes
Rancho Pkwy & Windrow Dr
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 of 3 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.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Lake Forest
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| El Toro Rd | 20 | 3 |
| Lake Forest Dr | 8 | 3 |
| Rockfield Blvd | 8 | 0 |
| Trabuco Rd | 7 | 1 |
| Normandale Dr | 4 | 0 |
| Bake Pkwy | 4 | 0 |
| Ridge Route Dr | 4 | 0 |
| Rancho Pkwy | 4 | 0 |
| Muirlands Blvd | 3 | 1 |
| Serrano Rd | 3 | 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 Lake Forest
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| ran a red light | 7 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 2 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 46 cars, 16 SUVs, 13 pickup trucks, 2 minivans and 1 motorcycle.
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 Lake Forest by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 15 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 20 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 23 | 4 | |
| 2026 | 10 | 0 |
How people get to work in Lake Forest
| Share of workers | Lake Forest | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 65.5% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 6.5% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 24.4% | 17.2% |
2.4% of households in Lake Forest have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 25.5 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 86,281 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 Lake Forest's streets.
Common questions about Lake Forest
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Lake Forest?
- The worst spot is Normandale Dr & El Toro Rd, with 6 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are Trabuco Rd & Lake Forest Dr (5) and Ridge Route Dr & Serrano Rd (5).
- How many cyclists were killed in Lake Forest?
- 1 crash killed someone in 101 reported bike crashes in Lake Forest from 2021–2026, and 13 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Lake Forest?
- 59% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 17% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Lake Forest, compared with California?
- Of 101 reported bike crashes in Lake Forest from 2021–2026: 17% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 13% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 4 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 2 crashes: a construction or repair zone (2).
- Which streets in Lake Forest have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: El Toro Rd (20), Lake Forest Dr (8), Rockfield Blvd (8), Trabuco Rd (7), Normandale Dr (4). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Lake Forest?
- 0.4% of workers in Lake Forest ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 1% take public transit. 2.4% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Lake Forest each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 18, 2022: 15, 2023: 15, 2024: 20, 2025: 23, 2026: 10. 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 Lake Forest
Bike climbs near Lake Forest
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.