Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Petaluma, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 137
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 16
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 2
- fatal
- street with the most
- Mcdowell Blvd
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Petaluma 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: 137 bike crashes were reported in Petaluma from 2021–2026, 16 of them serious or fatal (2 fatal). The most were at Lakeville St & Madison St (11). 20% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 10% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Petaluma
- 20% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 10% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Petaluma
- 10% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 18% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 12% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 5 crashes: holes or deep ruts (5).
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.
- 0111 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Lakeville St & Madison St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 027 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
D St & Copeland St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 038 crashes
Petaluma Bl S & E St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 047 crashes
Washington St & Mcdowell Blvd
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.
- 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.
- 053 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Caulfield Ln & St Francis Dr
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 40 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.
- 064 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Mcdowell Blvd & Southpoint Blvd
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 40 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.
- 075 crashes
Crinella Dr & Quail Dr
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 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.
- 084 crashes
Mcdowell Blvd & Corona Rd
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 40 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.
- 094 crashes
Mcdowell Blvd & Lynch Creek Way
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 104 crashes
Caulfield Ln & Payran St
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 Petaluma
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Mcdowell Blvd | 19 | 2 |
| Washington St | 8 | 2 |
| Lakeville St | 8 | 1 |
| Petaluma Bl N | 7 | 3 |
| Caulfield Ln | 5 | 1 |
| D St | 5 | 0 |
| Crinella Dr | 5 | 0 |
| Bodega Ave | 4 | 1 |
| Maria Dr | 4 | 0 |
| Madison St | 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 Petaluma
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 9 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 6 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 4 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 3 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 47 cars, 26 SUVs, 10 pickup trucks and 2 buses. 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 Petaluma by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 34 | 6 | |
| 2026 | 31 | 4 |
How people get to work in Petaluma
| Share of workers | Petaluma | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 66.7% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 7.6% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 1.8% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 20.5% | 17.2% |
5.2% of households in Petaluma have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 30.7 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 59,247 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 Petaluma's streets.
Common questions about Petaluma
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Petaluma?
- The worst spot is Lakeville St & Madison St, with 11 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are D St & Copeland St (7) and Petaluma Bl S & E St (8).
- How many cyclists were killed in Petaluma?
- 2 crashes killed someone in 137 reported bike crashes in Petaluma from 2021–2026, and 16 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Petaluma?
- 20% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 10% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Petaluma, compared with California?
- Of 137 reported bike crashes in Petaluma from 2021–2026: 10% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 18% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 12% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 5 crashes: holes or deep ruts (5).
- Which streets in Petaluma have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Mcdowell Blvd (19), Washington St (8), Lakeville St (8), Petaluma Bl N (7), Caulfield Ln (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Petaluma?
- 0.4% of workers in Petaluma ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 1.8% take public transit. 5.2% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Petaluma each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 17, 2022: 21, 2023: 21, 2024: 13, 2025: 34, 2026: 31. 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 Petaluma
Bike climbs near Petaluma
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.