Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Palm Desert, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 58
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 9
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- SR-111
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 6 spots, explainedIs Palm Desert 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: 58 motorcycle crashes were reported in Palm Desert from 2021–2026, 9 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at Cook St & Hovley Ln E (3). 26% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 19% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Palm Desert
- 26% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 19% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 19% happened after dark.
- 12% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Palm Desert
- 19% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 71% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 16% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 0% (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.
- 013 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Cook St & Hovley Ln E
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. Traffic is posted at about 50 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.
- 023 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Avenue Of The States & Washington St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 2 of 3, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 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. 67% were hit-and-run.
- 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.
- 034 crashes
Shoppers Ln & Dinah Shore Dr
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 55 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.
- 043 crashes
Fred Waring Dr & Portola Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
2 of 3 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. Traffic is posted at about 45 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.
- 053 crashes
SR-111 & Plaza Way
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 45 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.
- 063 crashes
SR-111 & Larkspur Ln
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Palm Desert
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| SR-111 | 13 | 0 |
| Fred Waring Dr | 7 | 1 |
| Monterey Ave | 6 | 0 |
| Cook St | 3 | 1 |
| Portola Ave | 3 | 0 |
| Country Club Dr | 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 Palm Desert
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 5 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 5 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 4 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| ran a red light | 2 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 21 cars, 13 SUVs, 4 pickup trucks, 1 truck or semi and 1 minivan.
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 Palm Desert by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 11 | 1 |
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 Palm Desert
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Palm Desert?
- The worst spot is Cook St & Hovley Ln E, with 3 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are Avenue Of The States & Washington St (3) and Shoppers Ln & Dinah Shore Dr (4).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Palm Desert?
- 1 crash killed someone in 58 reported motorcycle crashes in Palm Desert from 2021–2026, and 9 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Palm Desert?
- 26% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 19% involved a car turning left across the rider. 19% happened after dark. 12% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Palm Desert, compared with California?
- Of 58 reported motorcycle crashes in Palm Desert from 2021–2026: 19% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 71% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 16% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 0% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Palm Desert have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: SR-111 (13), Fred Waring Dr (7), Monterey Ave (6), Cook St (3), Portola Ave (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Palm Desert each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 12, 2022: 9, 2023: 7, 2024: 11, 2025: 8, 2026 (through Oct 19): 11. 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.