Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Irvine, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 298
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 83
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 11
- fatal
- street with the most
- I-5
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1I-5 & Yale Ave12 crashes · 5 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 5 of 12, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side.
- 2I-5 & Jamboree Rd11 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 6 of 11, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side.
- 3I-405 & Jamboree Rd9 crashes · 2 serious or fatalClose passes and cars turning alongside
Is Irvine 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: 298 motorcycle crashes were reported in Irvine from 2021–2026, 83 of them serious or fatal (11 fatal). The most were at I-5 & Yale Ave (12). 23% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 5% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Irvine
- 23% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 5% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 23% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Irvine
- 23% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 95% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 28% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 2% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 12 crashes: a construction or repair zone (10) and holes or deep ruts (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.
- 0112 crashes · 5 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
I-5 & Yale Ave
Riders hit from behind
Police reports: in 5 of 12, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 8 of 12 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.
- 0211 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
I-5 & Jamboree Rd
Riders hit from behind
Police reports: in 6 of 11, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 6 of 11 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.
- 039 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-405 & Jamboree Rd
Close passes and cars turning alongside
5 of 9 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. 44% 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.
- 049 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-5 & Sand Canyon Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 3 of 9, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 4 of 9 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.
- 058 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-5 & Yale Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 5 of 8, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 5 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.
- 067 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-405 & Sand Canyon Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
4 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.
- 075 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
I-5 & Lake Forest Dr
Close passes and cars turning alongside
2 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.
- 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.
- 088 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
I-5 & Culver Dr
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 8 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Enter slower than feels necessary and watch for gravel, sand and diesel. Look through the bend.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 096 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-5 & Jeffrey Rd
Close passes and cars turning alongside
3 of 6 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 · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
I-5 & Jeffrey Rd
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. 60% 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.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Irvine
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| I-5 | 102 | 24 |
| I-405 | 74 | 16 |
| Culver Dr | 10 | 3 |
| Irvine Center Dr | 8 | 3 |
| SR-73 | 7 | 2 |
| Jamboree Rd | 6 | 3 |
| Jeffrey Rd | 4 | 0 |
| Irvine Blvd | 3 | 2 |
| Walnut Ave | 3 | 1 |
| Sand Canyon Ave | 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 Irvine
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 64 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 18 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 7 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 4 | |
| turned from the wrong position | 3 | |
| ran a red light | 3 | |
| drove under the influence | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 111 cars, 59 SUVs, 22 pickup trucks, 6 minivans, 5 truck or semis and 2 buses. In 6 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 Irvine by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 32 | 13 | |
| 2022 | 42 | 17 | |
| 2023 | 53 | 11 | |
| 2024 | 62 | 19 | |
| 2025 | 74 | 14 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 35 | 9 |
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 Irvine
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Irvine?
- The worst spot is I-5 & Yale Ave, with 12 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 5 of them serious or fatal. Next are I-5 & Jamboree Rd (11) and I-405 & Jamboree Rd (9).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Irvine?
- 11 crashes killed someone in 298 reported motorcycle crashes in Irvine from 2021–2026, and 83 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Irvine?
- 23% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 5% involved a car turning left across the rider. 23% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Irvine, compared with California?
- Of 298 reported motorcycle crashes in Irvine from 2021–2026: 23% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 95% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 28% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 2% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 12 crashes: a construction or repair zone (10) and holes or deep ruts (2).
- Which streets in Irvine have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: I-5 (102), I-405 (74), Culver Dr (10), Irvine Center Dr (8), SR-73 (7). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Irvine each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 32, 2022: 42, 2023: 53, 2024: 62, 2025: 74, 2026 (through Oct 19): 35. 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 Irvine
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.