Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Downtown, San Diego
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 179
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 9
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 2
- fatal
- street with the most
- 6th Ave
- street with the most
Is Downtown safe to ride a bike?
This page covers traffic crashes, not crime. We don't rate neighborhoods 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: 179 bike crashes were reported in Downtown from 2021–2026, 9 of them serious or fatal (2 fatal). The most were at Market St & 5th Ave (17). 35% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 17% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors).
Downtown here is the City of San Diego's Downtown community planning area; its edges may differ from where residents put the neighborhood.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Downtown
- 35% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 17% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors).
- 31% happened after dark.
- 16% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Downtown
- 31% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 5% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 11 a.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.
- 0117 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Market St & 5th Ave
A mix of crash types
82% 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.
- 0217 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
C St & 11th Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
7 of 17 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.
- 0317 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Park Blvd & Market St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0412 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
6th Ave & A St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0512 crashes
16th St & Imperial Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 of 12 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.
- 068 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Market St & 17th St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
5 of 8 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. 25% were hit-and-run.
- 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.
- 079 crashes
3rd Ave & Broadway
Side-impact crashes at the junction
5 of 9 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.
- 088 crashes
16th St & K St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 of 8 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. 63% happened after dark.
- 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.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- 098 crashes
Broadway & 9th Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
4 of 8 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. 25% were hit-and-run.
- 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.
- 107 crashes
10th Ave & Island Ave
A mix of crash types
57% happened after dark. 43% 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.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Downtown
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| 6th Ave | 12 | 1 |
| Market St | 12 | 1 |
| 16th St | 12 | 0 |
| Park Blvd | 10 | 1 |
| G St | 8 | 1 |
| J St | 8 | 0 |
| Broadway | 8 | 0 |
| 4th Ave | 7 | 0 |
| 5th Ave | 7 | 0 |
| Imperial Ave | 7 | 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 Downtown by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 28 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 38 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 25 | 3 |
Common questions about Downtown
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Downtown?
- The worst spot is Market St & 5th Ave, with 17 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are C St & 11th Ave (17) and Park Blvd & Market St (17).
- How many cyclists were killed in Downtown?
- 2 crashes killed someone in 179 reported bike crashes in Downtown from 2021–2026, and 9 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Downtown?
- 35% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 17% were sideswipes (close passes, right hooks, car doors). 31% happened after dark. 16% were hit-and-run.
- How does Downtown compare with the rest of San Diego?
- Downtown had 179 of the 1,668 bike crashes on the map in San Diego, 2021–2026 (11%). That is a count, not a rate: a neighborhood with more people walking, shops and through traffic has more crashes without being riskier for each person. Downtown here is the City of San Diego's Downtown community planning area; its edges may differ from where residents put the neighborhood.
- Which streets in Downtown have the most bike crashes?
- 6th Ave (12), Market St (12), 16th St (12), Park Blvd (10), G St (8), counted by the street each police report names first.
Nearby neighborhoods in San Diego
Source: California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), 2021–2026. A crash counts toward the neighborhood whose outline holds its point. 176 of the 179 crashes here had no coordinates on the report and were placed at the intersection its street names give. Reports with neither coordinates nor usable street names aren't on the map, so these numbers are lower than the real total. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Outline: City of San Diego, Community Planning Districts. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-07. How the data works.