Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Goleta, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 51
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 16
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 2
- fatal
- street with the most
- US-101
- street with the most
Where they cluster
Is Goleta 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: 51 motorcycle crashes were reported in Goleta from 2021–2026, 16 of them serious or fatal (2 fatal). The most were at Calle Real & Fairview Ave (7). 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 10% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Goleta
- 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 10% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 24% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Goleta
- 24% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 31% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 12 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 6% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
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.
- 017 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Calle Real & Fairview 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.
- 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.
- 025 crashes
Hollister Ave & Rutherford St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
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.
- 033 crashes
Patterson Ave & Hollister Ave
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 45 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 Goleta
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| US-101 | 12 | 4 |
| Hollister Ave | 10 | 2 |
| Cathedral Oaks Rd | 7 | 4 |
| Calle Real | 5 | 2 |
| Fairview Ave | 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 Goleta
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drove too fast for conditions | 4 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 16 cars, 9 SUVs, 3 pickup trucks, 3 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 Goleta by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 5 | 2 |
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 Goleta
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Goleta?
- The worst spot is Calle Real & Fairview Ave, with 7 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Hollister Ave & Rutherford St (5) and Patterson Ave & Hollister Ave (3).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Goleta?
- 2 crashes killed someone in 51 reported motorcycle crashes in Goleta from 2021–2026, and 16 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Goleta?
- 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 10% involved a car turning left across the rider. 24% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Goleta, compared with California?
- Of 51 reported motorcycle crashes in Goleta from 2021–2026: 24% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 31% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 12 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 6% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Goleta have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: US-101 (12), Hollister Ave (10), Cathedral Oaks Rd (7), Calle Real (5), Fairview Ave (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Goleta each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 7, 2022: 10, 2023: 7, 2024: 14, 2025: 8, 2026 (through Oct 19): 5. 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.
Places to ride to near Goleta
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.