Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Newport Beach, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 173
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 53
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 7
- fatal
- street with the most
- SR-1
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explainedIs Newport Beach 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: 173 motorcycle crashes were reported in Newport Beach from 2021–2026, 53 of them serious or fatal (7 fatal). The most were at SR-1 & 61st St (12). 45% 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 Newport Beach
- 45% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 13% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 32% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Newport Beach
- 32% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 65% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 31% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.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.
- 0112 crashes · 7 serious or fatal · 2 fatal
SR-1 & 61st St
Falls and fixed objects
9 of 12 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.
- 026 crashes · 4 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
SR-1 & Balboa Blvd
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. 50% happened after dark. 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.
- 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.
- 0312 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
SR-1 & SR-55
Falls and fixed objects
9 of 12 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 50% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 45 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.
- 045 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
SR-1 & Superior Ave
Falls and fixed objects
4 of 5 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.
- 056 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Balboa Blvd & 29th St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- 063 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Superior Ave & Nice Ln
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 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.
- 074 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Macarthur Blvd & SR-1
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. 75% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 55 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.
- 084 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
SR-1 & Tustin Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 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 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.
- 093 crashes · 1 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Balboa Blvd & 34th 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.
- 105 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Balboa Blvd & 21st St
Falls and fixed objects
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 2 of 5 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 40% 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.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Newport Beach
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| SR-1 | 62 | 18 |
| Balboa Blvd | 10 | 3 |
| Newport Blvd | 9 | 4 |
| Jamboree Rd | 9 | 3 |
| Irvine Ave | 9 | 3 |
| Macarthur Blvd | 9 | 2 |
| Superior Ave | 5 | 3 |
| Coast Hwy | 5 | 3 |
| SR-55 | 4 | 1 |
| Dover Dr | 3 | 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 Newport Beach
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 12 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 11 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 9 | |
| drove under the influence | 6 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 5 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 4 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 4 | |
| ran a red light | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 62 cars, 22 SUVs, 10 pickup trucks and 1 minivan. 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 Newport Beach by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37 | 10 | |
| 2022 | 30 | 7 | |
| 2023 | 22 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 33 | 11 | |
| 2025 | 28 | 11 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 23 | 8 |
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 Newport Beach
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Newport Beach?
- The worst spot is SR-1 & 61st St, with 12 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 7 of them serious or fatal. Next are SR-1 & Balboa Blvd (6) and SR-1 & SR-55 (12).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Newport Beach?
- 7 crashes killed someone in 173 reported motorcycle crashes in Newport Beach from 2021–2026, and 53 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Newport Beach?
- 45% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 13% involved a car turning left across the rider. 32% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Newport Beach, compared with California?
- Of 173 reported motorcycle crashes in Newport Beach from 2021–2026: 32% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 65% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 31% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 2% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Newport Beach have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: SR-1 (62), Balboa Blvd (10), Newport Blvd (9), Jamboree Rd (9), Irvine Ave (9). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Newport Beach each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 37, 2022: 30, 2023: 22, 2024: 33, 2025: 28, 2026 (through Oct 19): 23. 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.