Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Encinitas, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 77
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 15
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 3
- fatal
- street with the most
- I-5
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 6 spots, explainedIs Encinitas 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: 77 motorcycle crashes were reported in Encinitas from 2021–2026, 15 of them serious or fatal (3 fatal). The most were at Coast Hwy & Grandview St (3). 21% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 17% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Encinitas
- 21% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 17% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 29% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Encinitas
- 29% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 19% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 0% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 6 crashes: a construction or repair zone (6).
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.
- 013 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Coast Hwy & Grandview St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 of 3 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.
- 023 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
North Coast Hwy & El Portal St
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 3 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 100% happened after dark.
- Enter slower than feels necessary and watch for gravel, sand and diesel. Look through the bend.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
- 033 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
S Coast & E St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- 044 crashes
I-5 & Manchester Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
2 of 4 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.
- 053 crashes
Leucadia Blvd & Garden View Rd
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 2 of 3, a driver ran a red light. 2 of 3 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. 67% happened after dark.
- 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.
- 063 crashes
I-5 & Leucadia Blvd
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.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Encinitas
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| I-5 | 24 | 3 |
| El Camino Real | 7 | 2 |
| N Coast | 4 | 2 |
| Vulcan Ave | 4 | 1 |
| Leucadia Blvd | 4 | 0 |
| Encinitas Blvd | 3 | 2 |
| Garden View Rd | 3 | 1 |
| Santa Fe Dr | 3 | 0 |
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 Encinitas
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 12 | |
| ran a red light | 4 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 4 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 3 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 2 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 2 | |
| drove under the influence | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 36 cars, 11 SUVs, 6 pickup trucks, 2 truck or semis and 2 minivans. In 2 crashes 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 Encinitas by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 19 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 16 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 18 | 4 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 4 | 1 |
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 Encinitas
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Encinitas?
- The worst spot is Coast Hwy & Grandview St, with 3 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are North Coast Hwy & El Portal St (3) and S Coast & E St (3).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Encinitas?
- 3 crashes killed someone in 77 reported motorcycle crashes in Encinitas from 2021–2026, and 15 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Encinitas?
- 21% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 17% involved a car turning left across the rider. 29% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Encinitas, compared with California?
- Of 77 reported motorcycle crashes in Encinitas from 2021–2026: 29% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 19% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 0% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 6 crashes: a construction or repair zone (6).
- Which streets in Encinitas have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: I-5 (24), El Camino Real (7), N Coast (4), Vulcan Ave (4), Leucadia Blvd (4). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Encinitas each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 7, 2022: 19, 2023: 13, 2024: 16, 2025: 18, 2026 (through Oct 19): 4. 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.