Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Los Gatos, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 60
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 16
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- SR-17
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 4 spots, explainedIs Los Gatos 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: 60 motorcycle crashes were reported in Los Gatos from 2021–2026, 16 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at SR-85 & Winchester Blvd (6). 30% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 8% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Los Gatos
- 30% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 8% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 13% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Los Gatos
- 13% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 58% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 27% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 3% (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.
- 016 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
SR-85 & Winchester Blvd
Close passes and cars turning alongside
4 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.
- 026 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
SR-17 & Lark Ave
Riders hit from behind
3 of 6 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.
- 034 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
SR-17 & SR-85
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 4 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.
- 045 crashes
SR-17 & SR-9
Close passes and cars turning alongside
4 of 5 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Los Gatos
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| SR-17 | 23 | 8 |
| SR-85 | 12 | 4 |
| Los Gatos Blvd | 5 | 1 |
| Blossom Hill Rd | 3 | 1 |
| Los Gatos Saratoga Rd | 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 Los Gatos
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 9 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 3 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 2 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 27 cars, 9 SUVs, 2 pickup trucks, 1 truck or semi and 1 minivan. 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 Los Gatos by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 15 | 6 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 10 | 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 Los Gatos
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Los Gatos?
- The worst spot is SR-85 & Winchester Blvd, with 6 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 3 of them serious or fatal. Next are SR-17 & Lark Ave (6) and SR-17 & SR-85 (4).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Los Gatos?
- 1 crash killed someone in 60 reported motorcycle crashes in Los Gatos from 2021–2026, and 16 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Los Gatos?
- 30% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 8% involved a car turning left across the rider. 13% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Los Gatos, compared with California?
- Of 60 reported motorcycle crashes in Los Gatos from 2021–2026: 13% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 58% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 27% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 3% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Los Gatos have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: SR-17 (23), SR-85 (12), Los Gatos Blvd (5), Blossom Hill Rd (3), Los Gatos Saratoga Rd (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Los Gatos each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 10, 2022: 8, 2023: 9, 2024: 8, 2025: 15, 2026 (through Oct 19): 10. 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.