Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Palm Desert, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 82
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 8
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 4
- fatal
- street with the most
- SR-111
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 5 spots, explainedIs Palm Desert 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: 82 bike crashes were reported in Palm Desert from 2021–2026, 8 of them serious or fatal (4 fatal). The most were at Cook St & Country Club Dr (3). 60% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 11% were riders hit from behind.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Palm Desert
- 60% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 11% were riders hit from behind.
- 18% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Palm Desert
- 18% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 70% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 10% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 1% (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.
- 013 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Cook St & Country Club Dr
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. Traffic is posted at about 55 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.
- 024 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
SR-111 & Deep Canyon Rd
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. 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.
- 034 crashes
Fred Waring Dr & Town Center 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. 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.
- 044 crashes
SR-74 & El Paseo
Close passes and cars turning alongside
2 of 4 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. 50% were hit-and-run.
- 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.
- 053 crashes
Deep Canyon Rd & Fred Waring Dr
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 45 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 Palm Desert
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| SR-111 | 10 | 2 |
| Country Club Dr | 10 | 2 |
| Fred Waring Dr | 9 | 1 |
| Cook St | 6 | 1 |
| Portola Ave | 5 | 0 |
| Frank Sinatra Dr | 3 | 0 |
| SR-74 | 3 | 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 Palm Desert
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 9 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 6 | |
| ran a red light | 6 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 6 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 2 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 2 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 2 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 35 cars, 16 SUVs, 10 pickup trucks, 2 truck or semis and 2 minivans. In 4 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 Palm Desert by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 19 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 18 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 8 | 3 |
How people get to work in Palm Desert
| Share of workers | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 13.3% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.7% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 14.9% | 17.2% |
3.9% of households in Palm Desert have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 21 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 51,990 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 Palm Desert's streets.
Common questions about Palm Desert
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Palm Desert?
- The worst spot is Cook St & Country Club Dr, with 3 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are SR-111 & Deep Canyon Rd (4) and Fred Waring Dr & Town Center Way (4).
- How many cyclists were killed in Palm Desert?
- 4 crashes killed someone in 82 reported bike crashes in Palm Desert from 2021–2026, and 8 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Palm Desert?
- 60% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 11% were riders hit from behind. 18% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Palm Desert, compared with California?
- Of 82 reported bike crashes in Palm Desert from 2021–2026: 18% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 70% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 10% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 1% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Palm Desert have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: SR-111 (10), Country Club Dr (10), Fred Waring Dr (9), Cook St (6), Portola Ave (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Palm Desert?
- 0.2% of workers in Palm Desert ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 0.7% take public transit. 3.9% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Palm Desert each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 11, 2022: 9, 2023: 19, 2024: 17, 2025: 18, 2026: 8. 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 Palm Desert
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.