Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 35
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 6
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- Santa Margarita Pkwy
- street with the most
Is Rancho Santa Margarita 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: 35 bike crashes were reported in Rancho Santa Margarita from 2021–2026, 6 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at Santa Margarita Pkwy & El Paseo (5). 57% 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 Rancho Santa Margarita
- 57% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 11% were riders hit from behind.
- 14% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita
- 14% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 17% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
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 · 1 fatal
Santa Margarita Pkwy & El Paseo
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.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Margarita Pkwy | 4 | 1 |
| Avenida De Las Flores | 4 | 0 |
| Antonio Pkwy | 3 | 0 |
| Alma Aldea | 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.
Bike crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 7 | 1 |
How people get to work in Rancho Santa Margarita
| Share of workers | City | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 64.7% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 7.5% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.2% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 25.4% | 17.2% |
4.5% of households in Rancho Santa Margarita have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 26.2 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 46,990 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 Rancho Santa Margarita's streets.
Common questions about Rancho Santa Margarita
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- The worst spot is Santa Margarita Pkwy & El Paseo, with 5 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal.
- How many cyclists were killed in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- 1 crash killed someone in 35 reported bike crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita from 2021–2026, and 6 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- 57% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 11% were riders hit from behind. 14% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Rancho Santa Margarita, compared with California?
- Of 35 reported bike crashes in Rancho Santa Margarita from 2021–2026: 14% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 17% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- Which streets in Rancho Santa Margarita have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Santa Margarita Pkwy (4), Avenida De Las Flores (4), Antonio Pkwy (3), Alma Aldea (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Rancho Santa Margarita?
- 0.2% of workers in Rancho Santa Margarita ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 0.1% take public transit. 4.5% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Rancho Santa Margarita each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 2, 2022: 9, 2023: 4, 2024: 9, 2025: 4, 2026: 7. 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 Rancho Santa Margarita
Bike climbs near Rancho Santa Margarita
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 2026-10-07. How the data works.