Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Lancaster, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 208
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 73
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 26
- fatal
- street with the most
- Avenue J
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Lancaster 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: 208 motorcycle crashes were reported in Lancaster from 2021–2026, 73 of them serious or fatal (26 fatal). The most were at Ave J & 10th St (7). 15% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 24% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Lancaster
- 15% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 24% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 31% happened after dark.
- 14% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Lancaster
- 31% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 89% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 35% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 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 8 crashes: a construction or repair zone (8).
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 · 4 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
Ave J & 10th St
Close passes and cars turning alongside
3 of 7 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. 43% were hit-and-run.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- 026 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
SR-14 & Avenue L
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 6 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 50% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- 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.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 036 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Avenue J & Division St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
3 of 6 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.
- 045 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
10th St West & Avenue I
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. 60% happened after dark. 40% were hit-and-run.
- 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.
- 054 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Challenger Way & Avenue J
Riders hit from behind
2 of 4 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. Traffic is posted at about 45 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.
- 063 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Avenue I & 13th St West
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. 67% 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.
- 074 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
SR-14 & Avenue M
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 3 of 4, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 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 55 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.
- 083 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Avenue K & 10th St West
Riders hit from behind
2 of 3 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. 67% happened after dark.
- Check your mirrors when slowing, flash your brake light, and leave an escape gap when you stop in traffic.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
- 093 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Challenger Way & Avenue K
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. 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.
- 105 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Ave J & Sierra Hwy
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. 40% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
- 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 Lancaster
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue J | 19 | 5 |
| SR-14 | 17 | 7 |
| Avenue I | 17 | 6 |
| Avenue K | 17 | 5 |
| 10th St West | 12 | 6 |
| Lancaster Blvd | 12 | 2 |
| Ave J | 6 | 3 |
| Avenue L | 6 | 3 |
| Sierra Hwy | 6 | 2 |
| Division St | 5 | 4 |
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 Lancaster
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield while turning left | 22 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 14 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 11 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 9 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 5 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 5 | |
| drove under the influence | 2 | |
| turned from the wrong position | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 95 cars, 32 SUVs, 18 pickup trucks, 4 minivans, 3 truck or semis and 3 buses. In 5 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 Lancaster by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 32 | 9 | |
| 2022 | 47 | 20 | |
| 2023 | 35 | 13 | |
| 2024 | 32 | 4 | |
| 2025 | 43 | 20 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 19 | 7 |
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 Lancaster
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Lancaster?
- The worst spot is Ave J & 10th St, with 7 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 4 of them serious or fatal. Next are SR-14 & Avenue L (6) and Avenue J & Division St (6).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Lancaster?
- 26 crashes killed someone in 208 reported motorcycle crashes in Lancaster from 2021–2026, and 73 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Lancaster?
- 15% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 24% involved a car turning left across the rider. 31% happened after dark. 14% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Lancaster, compared with California?
- Of 208 reported motorcycle crashes in Lancaster from 2021–2026: 31% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 89% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 35% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 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 8 crashes: a construction or repair zone (8).
- Which streets in Lancaster have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Avenue J (19), SR-14 (17), Avenue I (17), Avenue K (17), 10th St West (12). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Lancaster each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 32, 2022: 47, 2023: 35, 2024: 32, 2025: 43, 2026 (through Oct 19): 19. 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.