Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Berkeley, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 206
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 50
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 5
- fatal
- street with the most
- I-80
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1I-80 & University Ave8 crashes · 2 serious or fatalClose passes and cars turning alongside
- 2Ashby Ave & Harper St7 crashes · 4 serious or fatalRiders hit from behind
- 3I-80 & University Ave10 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 4 of 10, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side.
Is Berkeley safe to ride a motorcycle?
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: 206 motorcycle crashes were reported in Berkeley from 2021–2026, 50 of them serious or fatal (5 fatal). The most were at I-80 & University Ave (8). 14% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 20% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Berkeley
- 14% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 20% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 25% happened after dark.
- 11% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Berkeley
- 25% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 97% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 24% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 4% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 9 crashes: a construction or repair zone (4), holes or deep ruts (3) and flooding (2).
Set against all motorcycle crashes in California, 2021–2026. Without traffic counts these can't say how risky a street is.
Where motorcycle crashes cluster
Spots with 3 or more reported crashes within about 250 m, worst first.
- 018 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
I-80 & University Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
6 of 8 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 027 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
Ashby Ave & Harper St
Riders hit from behind
4 of 7 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind.
- Check your mirrors when slowing, flash your brake light, and leave an escape gap when you stop in traffic.
- 0310 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-80 & University Ave
Riders hit from behind
Police reports: in 4 of 10, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 6 of 10 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph. 40% were hit-and-run.
- Check your mirrors when slowing, flash your brake light, and leave an escape gap when you stop in traffic.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 049 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-80 & Gilman St
Riders hit from behind
5 of 9 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Check your mirrors when slowing, flash your brake light, and leave an escape gap when you stop in traffic.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 055 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
I-80 & University Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 3 of 5 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph. 40% were hit-and-run.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 065 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Kittredge & Oxford St
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. 100% happened after dark.
- Cover your brakes through the junction and watch the front wheels of cars waiting to pull out or turn left. Drivers misjudge how fast a motorcycle is coming.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
- 075 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
I-80 & Buchanan St
Close passes and cars turning alongside
3 of 5 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. 40% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 086 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-80 & Gilman St
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 097 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
I-80 & Ashby Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 4 of 7, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 5 of 7 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 105 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Ashby Ave & Mabel St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 2 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.
- Cover your brakes through the junction and watch the front wheels of cars waiting to pull out or turn left. Drivers misjudge how fast a motorcycle is coming.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Berkeley
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| I-80 | 74 | 14 |
| Ashby Ave | 11 | 7 |
| University | 7 | 2 |
| Ashby | 6 | 4 |
| Shattuck | 5 | 0 |
| Channing | 5 | 0 |
| Martin Luther King Jr | 5 | 0 |
| Bancroft | 4 | 1 |
| Telegraph | 4 | 0 |
| Sacramento | 3 | 1 |
Reported motorcycle 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 Berkeley
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 28 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 21 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 19 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 13 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 11 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 5 | |
| ran a red light | 5 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 118 cars, 16 pickup trucks, 15 SUVs, 6 minivans and 1 truck or semi. In 1 crash the report says the other driver had been drinking or was on drugs.
Reported motorcycle 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.
Motorcycle crashes in Berkeley by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34 | 8 | |
| 2022 | 42 | 11 | |
| 2023 | 40 | 13 | |
| 2024 | 38 | 9 | |
| 2025 | 27 | 4 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 25 | 5 |
2026 runs to Oct 19, the newest report in the data, and police reports keep arriving for months, so it isn't a full year.
Common questions about Berkeley
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Berkeley?
- The worst spot is I-80 & University Ave, with 8 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Ashby Ave & Harper St (7) and I-80 & University Ave (10).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Berkeley?
- 5 crashes killed someone in 206 reported motorcycle crashes in Berkeley from 2021–2026, and 50 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Berkeley?
- 14% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 20% involved a car turning left across the rider. 25% happened after dark. 11% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Berkeley, compared with California?
- Of 206 reported motorcycle crashes in Berkeley from 2021–2026: 25% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 97% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 24% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 4% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 9 crashes: a construction or repair zone (4), holes or deep ruts (3) and flooding (2).
- Which streets in Berkeley have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: I-80 (74), Ashby Ave (11), University (7), Ashby (6), Shattuck (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Berkeley each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 34, 2022: 42, 2023: 40, 2024: 38, 2025: 27, 2026 (through Oct 19): 25. 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. A report with no coordinates is placed at the intersection its street names give; reports with neither are not counted, so the real totals are higher.
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. Freeway crashes are included: many motorcycle crashes in cities happen on them. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-22. How the data works.