Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Palmdale, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 77
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 7
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- Avenue S
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 4 spots, explainedIs Palmdale 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: 77 bike crashes were reported in Palmdale from 2021–2026, 7 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at Sierra Hwy & SR-138 (6). 44% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 30% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Palmdale
- 44% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 30% happened after dark.
- 16% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Palmdale
- 30% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 9% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 10 a.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.
- 016 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Sierra Hwy & SR-138
A mix of crash types
67% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 45 mph. 50% were hit-and-run.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 025 crashes
Avenue S & 47th St East
Side-impact crashes at the junction
4 of 5 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.
- 033 crashes
Rancho Vista Blvd & Lowes Dr
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.
- 043 crashes
2nd St E & Palmdale Blvd
A mix of crash types
100% happened after dark.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Palmdale
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue S | 8 | 0 |
| Palmdale Blvd | 6 | 1 |
| Sierra Hwy | 6 | 0 |
| Rancho Vista Blvd | 5 | 0 |
| Avenue R | 5 | 0 |
| 47th St East | 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 Palmdale
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| ran a red light | 3 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 2 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 49 cars, 16 SUVs, 5 pickup trucks, 1 minivan and 1 truck or semi. In 1 crash 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 Palmdale by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 15 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 15 | 3 | |
| 2026 | 14 | 1 |
How people get to work in Palmdale
| Share of workers | Palmdale | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.5% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 14.2% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.9% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 0.7% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 17.2% |
4.8% of households in Palmdale have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 39.9 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 164,634 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 Palmdale's streets.
Common questions about Palmdale
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Palmdale?
- The worst spot is Sierra Hwy & SR-138, with 6 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are Avenue S & 47th St East (5) and Rancho Vista Blvd & Lowes Dr (3).
- How many cyclists were killed in Palmdale?
- 1 crash killed someone in 77 reported bike crashes in Palmdale from 2021–2026, and 7 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Palmdale?
- 44% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 30% happened after dark. 16% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Palmdale, compared with California?
- Of 77 reported bike crashes in Palmdale from 2021–2026: 30% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 9% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 10 a.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Palmdale have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Avenue S (8), Palmdale Blvd (6), Sierra Hwy (6), Rancho Vista Blvd (5), Avenue R (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Palmdale?
- 0.1% of workers in Palmdale ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 0.9% take public transit. 4.8% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Palmdale each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 7, 2022: 14, 2023: 15, 2024: 12, 2025: 15, 2026: 14. 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 Palmdale
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.