Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in San Diego, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 3,106
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 614
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 88
- fatal
- street with the most
- I-5
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1I-5 & Camino De La Plaza40 crashes · 6 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 10 of 40, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side.
- 2SR-15 & SR-9428 crashes · 5 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 5 of 28, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side.
- 3I-805 & Ralene Street O20 crashes · 5 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 5 of 20, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side.
Is San Diego 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: 3,106 motorcycle crashes were reported in San Diego from 2021–2026, 614 of them serious or fatal (88 fatal). The most were at I-5 & Camino De La Plaza (40). 25% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 9% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in San Diego
- 25% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 9% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 26% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in San Diego
- 26% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 99% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 20% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 3% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 67 crashes: a construction or repair zone (25), holes or deep ruts (22), loose material on the road (15) and something blocking the road (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.
- 0140 crashes · 6 serious or fatal
I-5 & Camino De La Plaza
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 10 of 40, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 16 of 40 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.
- 0228 crashes · 5 serious or fatal
SR-15 & SR-94
Falls and fixed objects
Police reports: in 5 of 28, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 20 of 28 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 65 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.
- 0320 crashes · 5 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
I-805 & Ralene Street O
Falls and fixed objects
Police reports: in 5 of 20, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 8 of 20 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 65 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.
- 0422 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
I-5 & National Ave O
Riders hit from behind
Police reports: in 4 of 22, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 8 of 22 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.
- 0518 crashes · 5 serious or fatal
I-5 & Park Blvd
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 65 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.
- 0623 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-5 & SR-15
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 65 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.
- 0715 crashes · 3 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
University Ave & Wabash Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 6 of 15, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 8 of 15 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.
- 0816 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
I-5 & Front St
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 5 of 16, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 8 of 16 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.
- 0918 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
I-5 & Camino De La Plaza
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 3 of 18, a driver drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side. 10 of 18 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.
- 1018 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
University Ave & 8th Ave
Riders hit from behind
Police reports: in 4 of 18, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 7 of 18 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. Traffic is posted at about 55 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.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in San Diego
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| I-5 | 488 | 104 |
| I-805 | 377 | 67 |
| I-15 | 218 | 38 |
| I-8 | 188 | 43 |
| SR-163 | 143 | 32 |
| SR-15 | 140 | 20 |
| SR-94 | 112 | 17 |
| SR-52 | 64 | 17 |
| University Ave | 44 | 4 |
| SR-905 | 37 | 13 |
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 San Diego
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 427 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 202 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 115 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 106 | |
| ran a red light | 52 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 43 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 40 | |
| turned from the wrong position | 28 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 1,310 cars, 429 SUVs, 175 pickup trucks, 50 minivans, 31 truck or semis and 4 buses. In 67 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 San Diego by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 413 | 101 | |
| 2022 | 514 | 124 | |
| 2023 | 561 | 115 | |
| 2024 | 624 | 113 | |
| 2025 | 558 | 102 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 436 | 59 |
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 San Diego
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in San Diego?
- The worst spot is I-5 & Camino De La Plaza, with 40 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 6 of them serious or fatal. Next are SR-15 & SR-94 (28) and I-805 & Ralene Street O (20).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in San Diego?
- 88 crashes killed someone in 3,106 reported motorcycle crashes in San Diego from 2021–2026, and 614 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in San Diego?
- 25% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 9% involved a car turning left across the rider. 26% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in San Diego, compared with California?
- Of 3,106 reported motorcycle crashes in San Diego from 2021–2026: 26% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 99% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 20% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 4 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 3% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 67 crashes: a construction or repair zone (25), holes or deep ruts (22), loose material on the road (15) and something blocking the road (5).
- Which streets in San Diego have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: I-5 (488), I-805 (377), I-15 (218), I-8 (188), SR-163 (143). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in San Diego each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 413, 2022: 514, 2023: 561, 2024: 624, 2025: 558, 2026 (through Oct 19): 436. 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.