Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in San Luis Obispo, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 88
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 16
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 0
- fatal
- street with the most
- US-101
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 7 spots, explainedIs San Luis Obispo 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: 88 motorcycle crashes were reported in San Luis Obispo from 2021–2026, 16 of them serious or fatal. The most were at California Blvd & Foothill Blvd (4). 24% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 35% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in San Luis Obispo
- 24% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 35% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 15% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in San Luis Obispo
- 15% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 42% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 18% (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.
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.
- 014 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
California Blvd & Foothill Blvd
Riders hit from behind
2 of 4 crashes were rear-end: hit from behind. 50% happened after dark.
- Check your mirrors when slowing, flash your brake light, and leave an escape gap when you stop in traffic.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
- 024 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
US-101 & Madonna Rd O
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 4 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 75% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 65 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.
- 035 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Foothill Blvd & Chorro St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 2 of 5, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 2 of 5 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.
- 043 crashes
Los Osos Valley Rd & Froom Ranch
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- 053 crashes
SR-1 & Boysen Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
3 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 40 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.
- 063 crashes
Pacific & Broad
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- 073 crashes
Carmel St & Buchon St
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 San Luis Obispo
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| US-101 | 11 | 2 |
| Higuera St | 10 | 2 |
| Broad St | 6 | 2 |
| Foothill Blvd | 5 | 1 |
| California Blvd | 4 | 2 |
| Los Osos Valley Rd | 4 | 1 |
| Monterey St | 4 | 0 |
| SR-1 | 4 | 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 San Luis Obispo
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield while turning left | 14 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 6 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 5 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 5 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 3 | |
| drove under the influence | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 44 cars, 12 SUVs, 8 pickup trucks, 2 minivans and 1 truck or semi. In 3 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 Luis Obispo by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 17 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 19 | 4 | |
| 2025 | 14 | 4 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 16 | 2 |
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 Luis Obispo
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in San Luis Obispo?
- The worst spot is California Blvd & Foothill Blvd, with 4 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are US-101 & Madonna Rd O (4) and Foothill Blvd & Chorro St (5).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in San Luis Obispo?
- No deaths were reported in 88 reported motorcycle crashes in San Luis Obispo from 2021–2026, and 16 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in San Luis Obispo?
- 24% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 35% involved a car turning left across the rider. 15% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in San Luis Obispo, compared with California?
- Of 88 reported motorcycle crashes in San Luis Obispo from 2021–2026: 15% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 42% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 18% (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.
- Which streets in San Luis Obispo have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: US-101 (11), Higuera St (10), Broad St (6), Foothill Blvd (5), California Blvd (4). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in San Luis Obispo each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 11, 2022: 17, 2023: 11, 2024: 19, 2025: 14, 2026 (through Oct 19): 16. 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.
Places to ride to near San Luis Obispo
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.