Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Monterey, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 62
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 10
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 2
- fatal
- street with the most
- Del Monte Ave
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 6 spots, explainedIs Monterey 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: 62 motorcycle crashes were reported in Monterey from 2021–2026, 10 of them serious or fatal (2 fatal). The most were at Lighthouse Ave & Private Bolio Rd (5). 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 13% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Monterey
- 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 13% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 21% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Monterey
- 21% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 21% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 16% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 2% (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.
- 015 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Lighthouse Ave & Private Bolio Rd
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 5 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 60% happened after dark.
- 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.
- 029 crashes
Lighthouse Ave & Washington St
Close passes and cars turning alongside
4 of 9 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.
- 034 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Del Monte Ave & Sloat Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
2 of 4 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.
- 043 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Del Monte Ave & Camino Aguajito
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.
- 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.
- 055 crashes
Fremont St & Casanova Ave
Riders hit from behind
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear. 2 of 5 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind.
- Check your mirrors when slowing, flash your brake light, and leave an escape gap when you stop in traffic.
- 063 crashes
Drake Ave & Wave St
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.
- 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.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Monterey
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Del Monte Ave | 16 | 4 |
| Lighthouse Ave | 11 | 3 |
| SR-1 | 4 | 0 |
| Fremont St | 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 Monterey
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 7 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 2 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 2 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 2 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 2 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 21 cars, 11 SUVs, 6 pickup trucks and 1 minivan. In 1 crash 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 Monterey by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 18 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 16 | 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 Monterey
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Monterey?
- The worst spot is Lighthouse Ave & Private Bolio Rd, with 5 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Lighthouse Ave & Washington St (9) and Del Monte Ave & Sloat Ave (4).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Monterey?
- 2 crashes killed someone in 62 reported motorcycle crashes in Monterey from 2021–2026, and 10 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Monterey?
- 31% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 13% involved a car turning left across the rider. 21% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Monterey, compared with California?
- Of 62 reported motorcycle crashes in Monterey from 2021–2026: 21% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 21% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 16% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 2% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Monterey have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Del Monte Ave (16), Lighthouse Ave (11), SR-1 (4), Fremont St (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Monterey each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 9, 2022: 18, 2023: 5, 2024: 7, 2025: 7, 2026 (through Oct 19): 16. 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.