Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Merced, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 196
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 33
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 4
- fatal
- street with the most
- G St
- street with the most
Is Merced 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: 196 bike crashes were reported in Merced from 2021–2026, 33 of them serious or fatal (4 fatal). The most were at G St & 23rd St (8). 58% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 26% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Merced
- 58% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 26% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Merced
- 26% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 17% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
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 · 3 serious or fatal
G St & 23rd 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.
- 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.
- 029 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Martin Luther King Jr Way & Main St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 038 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Martin Luther King Jr Way & 13th 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.
- 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.
- 047 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Main St & O 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.
- 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.
- 059 crashes
Olive Ave & M St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
7 of 9 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.
- 064 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
G St & Olive Ave
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.
- 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.
- 074 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Chilos Ave & Parsons Ave
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. 50% 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.
- 087 crashes
Meadows Ave & Olive Ave
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. 43% 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.
- 096 crashes
R St & 16th St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 of 6 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. 33% 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.
- 104 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
16th St & Martin Luther King Jr Way
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.
- 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 Merced
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| G St | 36 | 11 |
| R St | 16 | 0 |
| Olive Ave | 14 | 2 |
| M St | 11 | 1 |
| Martin Luther King Jr Way | 7 | 2 |
| Main St | 6 | 1 |
| Yosemite Ave | 6 | 1 |
| V St | 6 | 1 |
| 16th St | 6 | 1 |
| Childs Ave | 5 | 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.
Bike crashes in Merced by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35 | 7 | |
| 2022 | 34 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 34 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 30 | 6 | |
| 2025 | 44 | 9 | |
| 2026 | 19 | 4 |
How people get to work in Merced
| Share of workers | Merced | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.6% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 8.4% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.8% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.4% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 17.2% |
8.9% of households in Merced have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 28.6 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 91,953 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 Merced's streets.
Common questions about Merced
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Merced?
- The worst spot is G St & 23rd St, with 8 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 3 of them serious or fatal. Next are Martin Luther King Jr Way & Main St (9) and Martin Luther King Jr Way & 13th St (8).
- How many cyclists were killed in Merced?
- 4 crashes killed someone in 196 reported bike crashes in Merced from 2021–2026, and 33 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Merced?
- 58% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 26% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Merced, compared with California?
- Of 196 reported bike crashes in Merced from 2021–2026: 26% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 17% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- Which streets in Merced have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: G St (36), R St (16), Olive Ave (14), M St (11), Martin Luther King Jr Way (7). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Merced?
- 0.4% of workers in Merced ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 0.8% take public transit. 8.9% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Merced each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 35, 2022: 34, 2023: 34, 2024: 30, 2025: 44, 2026: 19. 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.
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 2026-10-07. How the data works.