Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Novato, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 111
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 8
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 0
- fatal
- street with the most
- Novato Blvd
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Novato 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: 111 bike crashes were reported in Novato from 2021–2026, 8 of them serious or fatal. The most were at Rowland Blvd & Cambridge St (5). 34% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 14% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Novato
- 34% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 14% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Novato
- 14% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 7% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 4% (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.
- 015 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Rowland Blvd & Cambridge St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 024 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Sunset Pkwy & Merritt Dr
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 035 crashes
Grant Ave & Scott Ct
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 045 crashes
Grant Ave & 2nd St
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 054 crashes
Novato Blvd & San Miguel 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.
- 064 crashes
Wilson Ave & Vineyard Rd
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 074 crashes
Vintage Way & Rowland Blvd
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.
- 084 crashes
Novato Blvd & Simmons Ln
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 094 crashes
Olive Ave & Railroad 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.
- 103 crashes
Hamilton Pkwy & Nave Dr
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 Novato
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Novato Blvd | 17 | 0 |
| Grant Ave | 9 | 0 |
| Redwood Blvd | 8 | 0 |
| Sunset Pkwy | 6 | 1 |
| Center Rd | 5 | 1 |
| Nave Dr | 5 | 1 |
| Rowland Blvd | 4 | 1 |
| South Novato Blvd | 4 | 0 |
| Diablo Ave | 4 | 0 |
| Wilson Ave | 4 | 0 |
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 Novato
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 8 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 8 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 7 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 6 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 4 | |
| ran a red light | 3 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 3 | |
| drove under the influence | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 51 cars, 15 SUVs, 7 pickup trucks and 3 minivans. In 3 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 Novato by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 22 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 28 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 13 | 0 |
How people get to work in Novato
| Share of workers | Novato | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 64% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 8.1% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 3.8% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 2.2% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 19.5% | 17.2% |
5% of households in Novato have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 28.1 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 52,546 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 Novato's streets.
Common questions about Novato
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Novato?
- The worst spot is Rowland Blvd & Cambridge St, with 5 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are Sunset Pkwy & Merritt Dr (4) and Grant Ave & Scott Ct (5).
- How many cyclists were killed in Novato?
- No deaths were reported in 111 reported bike crashes in Novato from 2021–2026, and 8 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Novato?
- 34% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 14% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Novato, compared with California?
- Of 111 reported bike crashes in Novato from 2021–2026: 14% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 7% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Novato have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Novato Blvd (17), Grant Ave (9), Redwood Blvd (8), Sunset Pkwy (6), Center Rd (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Novato?
- 0.8% of workers in Novato ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 3.8% take public transit. 5% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Novato each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 11, 2022: 22, 2023: 16, 2024: 28, 2025: 21, 2026: 13. 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 Novato
Bike climbs near Novato
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.