Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Modesto, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 439
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 105
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 17
- fatal
- street with the most
- SR-99
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Modesto 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: 439 motorcycle crashes were reported in Modesto from 2021–2026, 105 of them serious or fatal (17 fatal). The most were at Briggsmore Ave & Oakdale Rd (12). 24% 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 Modesto
- 24% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 24% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 27% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Modesto
- 27% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 44% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 24% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 3% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 8 crashes: holes or deep ruts (3), a construction or repair zone (3) and 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.
- 0112 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Briggsmore Ave & Oakdale Rd
Falls and fixed objects
6 of 12 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 45 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.
- 024 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
SR-99 & 9th St
Riders hit from behind
3 of 4 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.
- 038 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
9th St & D St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- 046 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Briggsmore Ave & Mc Henry Ave
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 6 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 45 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.
- 057 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
SR-99 & L St
Riders hit from behind
3 of 7 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph. 43% were hit-and-run.
- 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.
- 066 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Coffee Rd & Orangeburg Ave
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 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.
- 075 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Sisk Rd & Plaza Pkwy
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 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.
- 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.
- 085 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Oakdale Rd & Merle Ave
Falls and fixed objects
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver ran a red light. 2 of 5 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 40 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.
- 097 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Mc Henry Ave & Sylvan Ave
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 40 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.
- 105 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Mc Henry Ave & Morris Ave
Head-on crashes
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver ran a red light. 2 of 5 crashes were head-on, often riding against traffic or a driver cutting across the centre line on a turn. 40% happened after dark.
- Keep a lane position that gives you room on bends, and watch for oncoming cars cutting corners or turning left.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Modesto
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| SR-99 | 34 | 10 |
| Briggsmore Ave | 23 | 6 |
| Mc Henry Ave | 23 | 3 |
| Orangeburg Ave | 21 | 4 |
| Coffee Rd | 16 | 7 |
| Oakdale Rd | 15 | 4 |
| Carpenter Rd | 15 | 3 |
| Scenic Dr | 14 | 2 |
| SR-132 | 13 | 4 |
| Sisk Rd | 13 | 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 Modesto
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield while turning left | 45 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 28 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 28 | |
| ran a red light | 17 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 16 | |
| turned from the wrong position | 10 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 10 | |
| drove under the influence | 8 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 196 cars, 64 SUVs, 41 pickup trucks, 6 truck or semis, 5 minivans and 1 motorcycle. In 17 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 Modesto by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 79 | 23 | |
| 2022 | 77 | 22 | |
| 2023 | 78 | 15 | |
| 2024 | 75 | 14 | |
| 2025 | 82 | 16 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 48 | 15 |
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 Modesto
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Modesto?
- The worst spot is Briggsmore Ave & Oakdale Rd, with 12 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are SR-99 & 9th St (4) and 9th St & D St (8).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Modesto?
- 17 crashes killed someone in 439 reported motorcycle crashes in Modesto from 2021–2026, and 105 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Modesto?
- 24% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 24% involved a car turning left across the rider. 27% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Modesto, compared with California?
- Of 439 reported motorcycle crashes in Modesto from 2021–2026: 27% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 44% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 24% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 7 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 3% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 8 crashes: holes or deep ruts (3), a construction or repair zone (3) and loose material on the road (2).
- Which streets in Modesto have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: SR-99 (34), Briggsmore Ave (23), Mc Henry Ave (23), Orangeburg Ave (21), Coffee Rd (16). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Modesto each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 79, 2022: 77, 2023: 78, 2024: 75, 2025: 82, 2026 (through Oct 19): 48. 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.