Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Lancaster, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 121
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 13
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 4
- fatal
- street with the most
- Avenue J
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Lancaster 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: 121 bike crashes were reported in Lancaster from 2021–2026, 13 of them serious or fatal (4 fatal). The most were at Avenue J & Sierra Hwy (8). 37% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 17% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors).
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Lancaster
- 37% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 17% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors).
- 33% happened after dark.
- 17% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Lancaster
- 33% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 82% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 11% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 0% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
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.
- 018 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Avenue J & Sierra Hwy
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. 50% 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.
- 023 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
5th St East & Lancaster Blvd
Crashes with people on foot
2 of 3 crashes were with a pedestrian.
- Slow down near crossings and on shared paths, and give people walking plenty of room.
- 034 crashes
8th St East & Avenue K
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 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.
- 044 crashes
Challenger Way & Ave J
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 053 crashes
Avenue J & Division St
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
- 063 crashes
10th St West & Avenue I
Crashes with people on foot
2 of 3 crashes were with a pedestrian.
- Slow down near crossings and on shared paths, and give people walking plenty of room.
- 073 crashes
Avenue I & Divison St
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. 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.
- 083 crashes
10th St West & Lancaster Blvd
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 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.
- 093 crashes
15th St West & Avenue J
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.
- 103 crashes
Avenue I & 30th St W
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Lancaster
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue J | 14 | 0 |
| Avenue I | 10 | 0 |
| Avenue K | 8 | 1 |
| Lancaster Blvd | 8 | 0 |
| Sierra Hwy | 5 | 1 |
| 10th St West | 5 | 0 |
| Challenger Way | 5 | 0 |
| 20th St W | 4 | 1 |
| Ave J | 3 | 1 |
| 5th St East | 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 Lancaster
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 7 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 5 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 4 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 4 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 3 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 2 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 2 | |
| ran a red light | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 72 cars, 16 SUVs, 14 pickup trucks, 6 minivans, 1 motorcycle and 1 bus. In 6 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 Lancaster by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 19 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 21 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 30 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 20 | 2 |
How people get to work in Lancaster
| Share of workers | Lancaster | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.1% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 13.2% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1.4% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.2% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 17.2% |
7% of households in Lancaster have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 30.8 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 169,169 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 Lancaster's streets.
Common questions about Lancaster
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Lancaster?
- The worst spot is Avenue J & Sierra Hwy, with 8 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are 5th St East & Lancaster Blvd (3) and 8th St East & Avenue K (4).
- How many cyclists were killed in Lancaster?
- 4 crashes killed someone in 121 reported bike crashes in Lancaster from 2021–2026, and 13 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Lancaster?
- 37% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 17% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors). 33% happened after dark. 17% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Lancaster, compared with California?
- Of 121 reported bike crashes in Lancaster from 2021–2026: 33% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 82% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 11% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 0% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Lancaster have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Avenue J (14), Avenue I (10), Avenue K (8), Lancaster Blvd (8), Sierra Hwy (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Lancaster?
- 0.4% of workers in Lancaster ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 1.4% take public transit. 7% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Lancaster each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 10, 2022: 19, 2023: 21, 2024: 30, 2025: 21, 2026: 20. 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 Lancaster
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.