Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Santa Ana, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 897
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 49
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 17
- fatal
- street with the most
- 1st St
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 11st St & Mcclay St16 crashes · 1 serious or fatalSide-impact crashes at the junction
- 2Grand Ave & Chestnut Ave15 crashes · 1 serious or fatalSide-impact crashes at the junction
- 3Edinger Ave & Raitt St14 crashes · 1 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 14, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
Is Santa Ana 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: 897 bike crashes were reported in Santa Ana from 2021–2026, 49 of them serious or fatal (17 fatal). The most were at 1st St & Mcclay St (16). 53% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 25% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Santa Ana
- 53% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 25% happened after dark.
- 16% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Santa Ana
- 25% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 51% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 5% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 2% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 9 crashes: holes or deep ruts (4), a construction or repair zone (3) and something blocking the road (2).
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.
- 0116 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
1st St & Mcclay St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
8 of 16 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 40 mph. 38% 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.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 0215 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Grand Ave & Chestnut Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
9 of 15 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. 40% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph. 27% 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.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 0314 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Edinger Ave & Raitt St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 3 of 14, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear. 10 of 14 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 40 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.
- 0415 crashes
Edinger Ave & Fairview St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
10 of 15 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. 47% happened after dark. 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.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 056 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Edinger Ave & Bristol St
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.
- 0614 crashes
Main St & 1st St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 of 14 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.
- 0714 crashes
Mcfadden Ave & Sycamore St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
6 of 14 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.
- 087 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Main St & Chestnut Ave
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. 43% happened after dark. 29% 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.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- 097 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Hobart St & Main St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 1013 crashes
1st St & Bristol St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
7 of 13 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 40 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.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Santa Ana
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| 1st St | 86 | 7 |
| Edinger Ave | 55 | 4 |
| Bristol St | 53 | 3 |
| Main St | 52 | 3 |
| Mcfadden Ave | 47 | 4 |
| Grand Ave | 42 | 3 |
| 17th St | 36 | 0 |
| Warner Ave | 35 | 3 |
| Harbor Blvd | 33 | 1 |
| Fairview St | 26 | 2 |
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 Santa Ana
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 79 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 60 | |
| ran a red light | 33 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 32 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 27 | |
| didn't yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk | 18 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 18 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 9 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 488 cars, 165 SUVs, 126 pickup trucks, 27 minivans, 10 truck or semis and 5 buses. In 22 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 Santa Ana by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 104 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 127 | 8 | |
| 2023 | 136 | 7 | |
| 2024 | 177 | 7 | |
| 2025 | 204 | 13 | |
| 2026 | 149 | 8 |
How people get to work in Santa Ana
| Share of workers | Santa Ana | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69.7% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 14% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 2.7% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 17.2% |
6% of households in Santa Ana have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 24.5 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 312,534 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 Santa Ana's streets.
Common questions about Santa Ana
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Santa Ana?
- The worst spot is 1st St & Mcclay St, with 16 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are Grand Ave & Chestnut Ave (15) and Edinger Ave & Raitt St (14).
- How many cyclists were killed in Santa Ana?
- 17 crashes killed someone in 897 reported bike crashes in Santa Ana from 2021–2026, and 49 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Santa Ana?
- 53% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 25% happened after dark. 16% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Santa Ana, compared with California?
- Of 897 reported bike crashes in Santa Ana from 2021–2026: 25% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 51% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 5% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 2% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 9 crashes: holes or deep ruts (4), a construction or repair zone (3) and something blocking the road (2).
- Which streets in Santa Ana have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: 1st St (86), Edinger Ave (55), Bristol St (53), Main St (52), Mcfadden Ave (47). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Santa Ana?
- 0.5% of workers in Santa Ana ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 2.7% take public transit. 6% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Santa Ana each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 104, 2022: 127, 2023: 136, 2024: 177, 2025: 204, 2026: 149. 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 Santa Ana
Bike climbs near Santa Ana
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.