Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Petaluma, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 68
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 24
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- US-101
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 8 spots, explainedIs Petaluma 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: 68 motorcycle crashes were reported in Petaluma from 2021–2026, 24 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at Washington St & Mcdowell Blvd (3). 38% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 22% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Petaluma
- 38% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 22% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 22% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Petaluma
- 22% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 47% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 35% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 1% (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.
- 013 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Washington St & Mcdowell Blvd
A mix of crash types
67% happened after dark.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
- 024 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
US-101 & East Washington St
Riders hit from behind
2 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.
- 034 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Lakeville Hwy & Caulfield
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. Traffic is posted at about 65 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.
- 043 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Corona Rd & Mcdowell Blvd
Head-on crashes
Police reports: in 2 of 3, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 2 of 3 crashes were head-on, often riding against traffic or a driver cutting across the centre line on a turn. Traffic is posted at about 40 mph.
- Keep a lane position that gives you room on bends, and watch for oncoming cars cutting corners or turning left.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 053 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Corona Rd & Sonoma Mountain Pw
Falls and fixed objects
2 of 3 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 67% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 40 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.
- 063 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
US-101 & Corona Rd
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.
- 074 crashes
Petaluma Bl N & Auto Center Dr
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 2 of 4, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 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.
- 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.
- 083 crashes
Petalluma Blvd N & B 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.
- 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 Petaluma
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| US-101 | 15 | 4 |
| Mcdowell Blvd | 8 | 3 |
| Petaluma Bl N | 6 | 1 |
| Washington St | 4 | 2 |
| Corona Rd | 3 | 1 |
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 Petaluma
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield while turning left | 11 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 4 | |
| ran a red light | 2 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 2 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 22 cars, 13 SUVs, 4 pickup trucks and 2 minivans.
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 Petaluma by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 14 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 12 | 3 |
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 Petaluma
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Petaluma?
- The worst spot is Washington St & Mcdowell Blvd, with 3 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are US-101 & East Washington St (4) and Lakeville Hwy & Caulfield (4).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Petaluma?
- 1 crash killed someone in 68 reported motorcycle crashes in Petaluma from 2021–2026, and 24 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Petaluma?
- 38% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 22% involved a car turning left across the rider. 22% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Petaluma, compared with California?
- Of 68 reported motorcycle crashes in Petaluma from 2021–2026: 22% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 47% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 35% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 3 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 1% (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 Petaluma have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: US-101 (15), Mcdowell Blvd (8), Petaluma Bl N (6), Washington St (4), Corona Rd (3). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Petaluma each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 14, 2022: 12, 2023: 14, 2024: 7, 2025: 9, 2026 (through Oct 19): 12. 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.