Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Novato, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 45
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 15
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 0
- fatal
- street with the most
- US-101
- street with the most
Is Novato 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: 45 motorcycle crashes were reported in Novato from 2021–2026, 15 of them serious or fatal. 47% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 24% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Novato
- 47% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 24% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Novato
- 24% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 33% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 4% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 5 crashes: a construction or repair zone (5).
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.
No single spot in Novato has 3 or more reported motorcycle crashes. They are spread across the city.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Novato
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| US-101 | 21 | 8 |
| SR-37 | 3 | 1 |
| Novato Blvd | 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 Novato
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 7 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 6 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 3 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 14 cars, 6 SUVs, 3 pickup trucks, 2 truck or semis and 1 motorcycle. 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 Novato by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 2 | 0 |
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 Novato
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Novato?
- No deaths were reported in 45 reported motorcycle crashes in Novato from 2021–2026, and 15 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Novato?
- 47% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 24% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Novato, compared with California?
- Of 45 reported motorcycle crashes in Novato from 2021–2026: 24% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 33% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 4% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 5 crashes: a construction or repair zone (5).
- Which streets in Novato have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: US-101 (21), SR-37 (3), Novato Blvd (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Novato each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 5, 2022: 9, 2023: 10, 2024: 7, 2025: 12, 2026 (through Oct 19): 2. 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.