Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Lake Elsinore, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 159
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 45
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 9
- fatal
- street with the most
- I-15
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Lake Elsinore 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: 159 motorcycle crashes were reported in Lake Elsinore from 2021–2026, 45 of them serious or fatal (9 fatal). The most were at Grand Ave & Macy St (5). 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 22% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Lake Elsinore
- 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 22% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 27% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Lake Elsinore
- 27% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 83% (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.).
- 1% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: loose material on the road (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.
- 015 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Grand Ave & Macy St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
4 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. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 029 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Lakeshore Dr & Diamond Dr
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 3 of 9, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 6 of 9 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 45 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 033 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Riverside Dr & Walnut Dr
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 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. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 044 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Central Ave & Dexter Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 of 4 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 45 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 055 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Railroad Canyon Rd & Summerhill Dr
Riders hit from behind
3 of 5 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
- 065 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-15 & Main 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 70 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.
- 074 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Lakeshore Dr & Viscaya St
Riders hit from behind
2 of 4 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. Traffic is posted at about 40 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.
- 084 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Collier Ave & Nichols Rd
Falls and fixed objects
4 of 4 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
- 095 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Central Ave & Collier Ave
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. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 103 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Lake St & Nicholas Rd
Falls and fixed objects
2 of 3 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Lake Elsinore
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| I-15 | 33 | 7 |
| Lakeshore Dr | 19 | 4 |
| Riverside Dr | 14 | 3 |
| Grand Ave | 13 | 5 |
| SR-74 | 11 | 6 |
| Central Ave | 6 | 2 |
| Collier Ave | 6 | 2 |
| Lake St | 5 | 4 |
| Canyon Hills Rd | 4 | 2 |
| Railroad Canyon Rd | 4 | 2 |
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 Lake Elsinore
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 9 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 8 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 7 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 4 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| drove under the influence | 3 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 2 | |
| ran a red light | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 58 cars, 18 SUVs, 12 pickup trucks, 7 truck or semis and 2 minivans. In 7 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 Lake Elsinore by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 29 | 9 | |
| 2023 | 23 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 32 | 10 | |
| 2025 | 38 | 14 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 17 | 3 |
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 Lake Elsinore
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Lake Elsinore?
- The worst spot is Grand Ave & Macy St, with 5 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Lakeshore Dr & Diamond Dr (9) and Riverside Dr & Walnut Dr (3).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Lake Elsinore?
- 9 crashes killed someone in 159 reported motorcycle crashes in Lake Elsinore from 2021–2026, and 45 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Lake Elsinore?
- 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 22% involved a car turning left across the rider. 27% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Lake Elsinore, compared with California?
- Of 159 reported motorcycle crashes in Lake Elsinore from 2021–2026: 27% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 83% (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.). 1% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: loose material on the road (2).
- Which streets in Lake Elsinore have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: I-15 (33), Lakeshore Dr (19), Riverside Dr (14), Grand Ave (13), SR-74 (11). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Lake Elsinore each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 20, 2022: 29, 2023: 23, 2024: 32, 2025: 38, 2026 (through Oct 19): 17. 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.