Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Modesto, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 555
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 48
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 10
- fatal
- street with the most
- Mc Henry Ave
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Modesto 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: 555 bike crashes were reported in Modesto from 2021–2026, 48 of them serious or fatal (10 fatal). The most were at Needham St & Poplar Ave (12). 58% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 24% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Modesto
- 58% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 24% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Modesto
- 24% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 28% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 9% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 4 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 7 crashes: a construction or repair zone (3), holes or deep ruts (2) and 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.
- 0112 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Needham St & Poplar Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
9 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.
- 0222 crashes
9th St & H St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
14 of 22 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.
- 036 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Mchenry Ave & Morris Ave
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 048 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
9th St & B St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 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.
- 059 crashes
El Vista Ave & Scenic Dr
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. 56% happened after dark. 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.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 069 crashes
Mc Henry Ave & Orangeburg Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
5 of 9 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. 44% happened after dark.
- Ride at least 4 feet from parked cars to stay out of the door zone, and watch for drivers who overtake and then turn right across you.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- 077 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Orangeburg Ave & Oakdale Rd
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 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. 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.
- 084 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Warren Way & Mc Henry 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.
- 097 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Oakdale Rd & Lancey Dr
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 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.
- 106 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Yosemite Blvd & Kerr Ave
Head-on crashes
3 of 6 crashes were head-on, often riding against traffic or a driver cutting across the centre line on a turn.
- Ride with the flow of traffic, and watch for oncoming drivers turning left across you.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Modesto
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Mc Henry Ave | 30 | 1 |
| Coffee Rd | 24 | 0 |
| Tully Rd | 22 | 0 |
| Briggsmore Ave | 20 | 2 |
| Orangeburg Ave | 19 | 2 |
| Yosemite Blvd | 16 | 3 |
| Sylvan Ave | 16 | 1 |
| Prescott Rd | 15 | 0 |
| Floyd Ave | 12 | 2 |
| Sisk Rd | 11 | 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 Modesto
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 25 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 24 | |
| ran a red light | 21 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 17 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 14 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 12 | |
| passed a bicyclist closer than three feet | 10 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 10 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 290 cars, 92 SUVs, 67 pickup trucks, 12 minivans, 9 motorcycles and 5 buses. In 16 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 Modesto by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 88 | 8 | |
| 2022 | 87 | 11 | |
| 2023 | 76 | 9 | |
| 2024 | 109 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 92 | 9 | |
| 2026 | 103 | 8 |
How people get to work in Modesto
| Share of workers | Modesto | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.9% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 11.6% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1.6% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.2% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 17.2% |
6.3% of households in Modesto have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 30.2 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 219,215 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 Modesto's streets.
Common questions about Modesto
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Modesto?
- The worst spot is Needham St & Poplar Ave, with 12 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 4 of them serious or fatal. Next are 9th St & H St (22) and Mchenry Ave & Morris Ave (6).
- How many cyclists were killed in Modesto?
- 10 crashes killed someone in 555 reported bike crashes in Modesto from 2021–2026, and 48 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Modesto?
- 58% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 24% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Modesto, compared with California?
- Of 555 reported bike crashes in Modesto from 2021–2026: 24% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 28% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 9% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 4 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 7 crashes: a construction or repair zone (3), holes or deep ruts (2) and loose material on the road (2).
- Which streets in Modesto have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Mc Henry Ave (30), Coffee Rd (24), Tully Rd (22), Briggsmore Ave (20), Orangeburg Ave (19). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Modesto?
- 0.8% of workers in Modesto ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 1.6% take public transit. 6.3% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Modesto each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 88, 2022: 87, 2023: 76, 2024: 109, 2025: 92, 2026: 103. 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 2026-10-22. How the data works.